Underswap Smile
by TopsyCrit
Summary: All is not as happy as it seems in the Underswap Universe. An ugly secret is hidden behind Sans' smile. Will he be able to escape or will something push him a little too far? Rated M for abuse.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Undertale. I did not create Underswap.**

 **WARNING: This story will contain an unhealthy/abusive relationship.**

 **Thank you for reading!**

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Chapter 1:

It wasn't obvious. If you didn't really know that small skeleton, you would never know anything was wrong. Perhaps that's why no one did anything until it was much too late.

Sans wasn't happy. Sure he smiled all the time, but that was more a matter of physiology than mood. He hadn't ever been able to manipulate that smile into anything else. For once, he was glad of that. It made pretending so much easier.

It was early in the morning, maybe three o'clock, and Sans was doing his best to sneak out of the house. Sitting grumpily on the couch, was Papyrus.

Forcing himself to breathe quietly, Sans evaluated his situation. Getting past his brother wouldn't be hard, as long as he was sleeping. The taller skeleton slept like a rock making it possible to walk right past him. If Pappy was awake, there was no way he'd be able to leave yet.

With a final creaking stair, Sans got his answer.

"What are you doing up?" Papyrus growled with orange blazing in his eye.

"I-I w-wanted-" Thinking quickly, he conjured a reason. "I wanted to get a glass of water. I woke up pretty thirsty!"

The tall skeleton grumbled as he picked himself off of the couch. With slow steps, he approached one of the locked cupboards. He paused momentarily before fishing the key from the necklace under his hoodie.

"And what are you going to give me for this?" It was more of a threat than a question.

"W-Whatever you want, Pappy!' He tried to sound cheerful, even a bit eager. It was if he wasn't being asked to pay in some way for a glass of water.

When the taller skeleton handed him one of the cups with water, he noticed it was a half cup. It wasn't half full. It wasn't half empty. It was just half.

Papyrus must have been in a generous mood.

"Thank you, Pappy!" Sans gulped at the clear liquid. "I think I'll go back to bed now!"

"Hand."

Reluctantly, Sans reached out to his brother who was now wielding a particularly sharp knife. Fighting just made it hurt more.

"Not that one, you idiot!" There was a smidge of anger in his voice.

Again, Sans reached out. This time, he offered his dominant hand. It was Papyrus' favorite.

The orange glow died down as Papyrus prepared to work. "If you so much as squeak, I'll give your ribs the same treatment."

Sans just nodded.

One finger at a time, his brother slid the knife across bone, shaving of parts and etching patterns into it.

The first was his pinky. It was already decorated with a small teardrop pattern. More tears were added along with thick vines dancing between each tear drop.

His pointer finger depicted a war scene. Papyrus added odd skull shapes obliterating a human army. The ring finger had a nonsensical pattern of shapes.

His middle finger was covered in a strange language. It had no more space so the words were just engraved deeper into the bone. This left only his thumb.

It was a diagram of the stars from the surface. Specifically, it contained the stars' alignment on the day of the War. It was the only 'art' that Sans didn't mind.

"Go back upstairs." Papyrus returned to the couch. "I'm watching a show. Don't disturb me until I'm done."

Sans scrambled up the stairs. If Papyrus wasn't in such a loving mood, he would definitely have a few cracks in his skull to fix. As it was, he was grateful. His hands were easy enough to hide, that's what his gloves were for.

Hiding the scars seemed counter intuitive for most monsters but the small skeleton knew the truth. No one would help even if they knew something. Who would believe that laid back, honey loving Papyrus had this side? It wasn't a matter of if they could help, no one would.

Settling back onto his mattress, Sans remained sitting. He focused the little magic he had on speeding up the healing of his hand. Tomorrow was the day for errands. A painful throbbing hand wouldn't allow Sans to finish his chores and go out before his brother's temper flared up.

Papyrus might be in a good mood now, but it was only a matter of time before Sans messed something up. Really anything could set off the tall skeleton. Some days, the tacos were overcooked or too spicy. On others, so much as looking at his brother brought out his wrath. But for now, Sans was content. With all the other ways Papyrus could get payment, this was by far the nicest.

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 _This story will update every Friday (unless something comes up). Thanks go out to YourFriendTavion for beta reading for this story. Reviews are always greatly appreciated._


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for reading!**

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Chapter 2:

Today was errand day. It was the only day Sans actively looked forward to. Escaping the house, even for a couple hours, was enough to brighten the small skeleton.

Before getting his outing, Sans always had to finish chores. Although he did things like dishes and general house cleaning, errand day always happened to coincide with 'trying not to die in Papy's room' day and laundry day. There were many times where he was unable to go due to some ridiculous bit of misfortune trying to sanitize the garbage shoot Papyrus called a bedroom.

He hoped today wasn't one of those times. Payments before errand day always slowed him down, but his hand had healed for the most part. It was still sore and a bit tight but that was manageable.

Having just folded and put up all the laundry, Sans was ecstatic to get going. He'd managed to finish a little later than normal but he had plenty of time to meander before he'd need to head home with groceries. He did his best to wait patiently as Papy wrote out the grocery list.

Sans had tried to convince Papyrus to unlock the cupboards at least on errand day. It was always more work for his older brother to write the list than it would've been to let Sans do it. As it was, the cupboards were only unlocked at very certain times each day so that Sans could cook.

Finally, he was handed the list. It was long, like normal. Reaching out for the gold required for groceries, Papy grabbed his hands.

"Do they still hurt?" Papyrus cooed as he removed the gloves. "I could fix them, if you're really good."

Sans didn't dare meet his brother's eyes. He just left his hands hanging loosely in front of him. Sans prayed that Papyrus wasn't planning on preventing him from going out today.

"There there, my masterpiece." Papyrus softly kissed each of Sans' phalanges. "Now that these are perfect, I'll be able to work on my favorite part."

Sans knew his brother wasn't talking to him. He wasn't trying to comfort him or make him feel better. His brother was already planning the next bit of his "art".

A thing was all he'd ever be to his brother. He was a thing and a toy, nothing more. Silent tears fell from Sans' eye sockets.

"I know. Isn't it wonderful?" Papyrus brushed the tears away with his thumb. "Soon you'll be my best achievement. There's not much left to do."

Sans just nodded as gave him the grocery money. He didn't want to know what his brother had in mind. That was a dark abyss he was certain he'd drown in.

The odd thing about errand day was just how little Papyrus seemed to be concerned with how long grocery shopping took. It didn't matter how early or late it was when Sans left, it was always five minutes before six when he got home. Grocery shopping was such a peaceful reprieve from his brother's temper that he insured that he was out as late as possible without incurring Papyrus' wrath.

Strolling around the shop, Sans paused to consider which groceries on the list he would actually buy. It wasn't unusual for Papyrus to give him less gold than would purchase half the list. It also wasn't unusual for Sans to prioritize actual food items over some of Papyrus many vices. It didn't help with the taller skeleton's general attitude but it kept Sans healthy enough to use his magic.

Today, Papy's request for thirteen bottles of honey and three packs of cigarettes would be ignored. Taco shells and cheese was much more important than either of those other items, and everything was expensive to boot. A single honey bottle would make its way home and that was all.

Without warning, a harsh slap on the back sent Sans skidding away from the shelf he was looking at.

"Hey punk, long time no see!" The yellow monster gave him a toothy grin. It was Alphys. "Anyone do anything since last time?"

Sans hated to be reminded of how he had met Alphys. He had been heading home with the groceries when some monster came out of the blue and knocked him over. The little that they hadn't stole was left ruined and inedible. He had broken down crying.

It wasn't until he felt himself being carried that he'd noticed Alphys. She had swung the small skeleton over her shoulder and headed to the grocery store. She paid for the replacements. Although it was incredibly embarrassing, Sans was grateful.

Seeing her gave Sans an idea.

"I'm doing fine." He smiled brightly. "Do you think I could join the Royal Guard?"

"What?"

She gawked at the small skeleton. To her, he always seemed like such a child, someone who needed protecting. It would be much too dangerous for him to join the guard. At the same time, he looked so hopeful. She couldn't tell him no.

"Can I join the Royal Guard, please?" His eyes pleaded for an answer.

Alphys huffed, cute things were a big weakness of hers. "I'll think about it."

"Thank you!"

Sans gave her a big hug before sprinting off to finish his shopping. If Alphys let him join the guard, he could leave the house every day. Maybe, he could make friends.

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 **Guest**

 **I can already tell this will be good and heart wrenching. Keep up the good work**

I aim to make you all emotional in one way or another (anger and sadness are wonderful results). I'll do my best. Thank you!

 **The Man Who Speaks In Hands**

 **Heheh (FK Papyrus) heheh, now, KEEP. GOING. This is really good! Onward to Victory m8**

Thank you for reading and the lovely compliment! I'm glad you like it so far.

 **Firehedgehog**

 **poor swapsans**

You might be thinking that a lot more frequently than you did prior to this story. This is only the beginning… Thanks for reading!

 **BadDRUMMERboy15**

 **With the whole papyrus abusing sans thing... I'm getting more of a FellSwap feel from this story... Like I don't think abuse would be what a regular under swap papyrus would do..**

Well, he's definitely different than the usual Underswap version of Papyrus. I found this comment rather interesting seeing as, "Who would believe that laid back, honey loving Papyrus had this side?" was a point made in this story. Perhaps that's what makes it so interesting. It's impossible to truly know everyone's story. It begs the question, "What if?" and then we go from there.

 **Cakegirl21**

 **yay! now i have two reasons to foward to friday! this story and i'm going roller skating with my BFF again!**

Yay! I'll do my best not to disappoint. Enjoy roller skating and thank you for reading!

 **The Rude Girl**

 **I feel like this doesnt fit Underswap. Makes more sense if its Underfell**

I can see what you're saying about this being typical for Underfell. A primary difference is that Papyrus is abusive but the rest of the cast aren't. Thanks for reading!

 **WolfyCrystel**

 **Well this reminds me of a story on Archiveofourown called "Please Save Me". Was this 'fic inspired by it or was it a coincidence? Or are you actually Fandom-Trash-Sammy?! (warning: if you havent read Please Save Me and want to, be aware it contains smut and graphic violence. The smut and gore are skippable and you can still get the story without it, though)**

That is purely coincidental. I'm not surprised that someone has already done a story on a similar line but I'm certain the two will be quite different. I'll wait to read Please Save Me until I've finished this story to avoid accidental inspiration but I can promise there will be no smut, just violence/abuse. Maybe some of the other readers of this will check it out, they might enjoy it. Thanks for reading and telling me about this other story!

 **Guest**

 **Ehmm**

I can't tell if you like it or not. Thanks for reading, though!

 **Fear 552**

 **Papyrus... *left eye stars glowing rainbow colors* why on earth would you do that to an innocent blueberry? *uses fox magic to summon special attack* we wouldnt want to get bit by the fox, now would we?**

There's never going to be an acceptable explanation for his actions. He's absolutely going to deserve getting bit by a fox multiple times as this goes on. Thanks for reading!

 **Coolc341**

 **Ahh, that was nice. You want to know what I want to do now? I want to grab the exact same knife he used and slash Papyrus bones, three slashes on every one in every section. I want to grab Papyrus by his head and drag him into the pits of Tartarus where Ill chain him up to a wall of molten lava, securing him with electric cuffs which will most defiantly be used generously. After successfully securing him I'd take out multiple torture devices and put each and every one at my disposal to good use. Some of these items include a baton, a saw, Stilettos(Daggers), Arquebuses, and oh so many more. After that I'll get his friends, or 3D Holograms of them at least, and when he literally BEGS them to save him, having thrown away his pride, begging and pleading for help, they would all just laugh at his suffering. Tell him it's what he deserves for being a cruel, manipulative b***. OH! Id also grab Sans and put him in a blanket and surround him with his friends. Get him his favorite food and**

 **drink and give him some shows/anime for comfort. But before that, fully heal him and assure him that everything is alright. Lol, great fic! Hoping to see more soon!**

I think there's going to be some extra punishment required after Chapter 3. (Hint Hint: You are going to hate him even more…) Also, I really like where your mind went. He's definitely going to deserve everything that's coming to him. Sans would be in shock over that kindness, especially as right now he doesn't think he has any friends… I'm so glad you like it! I'll update every Friday, so it'll be nice and predictable for you to get a jerk Papyrus and suffering Sans. Thanks for reading!

 _Thank you all so much for your reviews! It means so much to me!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for reading!**

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Chapter 3:

Sans rushed to check out much earlier than normal. For his plan to work, he needed to arrive at Alphys' home before Papyrus noticed him gone. Reluctantly, he parted with the larger bag of cheese for the smaller, less expensive, one. He needed the extra money to pay for the groceries to be delivered today.

Scurrying away from the store, Sans began to panic.

What would she do? What if she said no? The most disturbing question on his mind centered on an entirely different monster. How would Papy react?

It was too late to change his mind now. He had arrived only moments before she had. He eyed the yellow monster for only a moment before greeting her.

"Alphys, hi!" He hoped his nerves came off more as excitement. "Have you thought about letting me join?"

"Hey, punk." Sans grabbed one of the many bags of groceries from her. "I, well, why do you want to join?

"I can help lots of monster. I'll be everyone's friend!"

"I don't know." Alphys analyzed the bouncing skeleton with skepticism. "It's not an easy job."

He needed this. It was his only way out. It was his ticket to freedom.

"I'll do anything! Just let me prove it."

"Look, I can give you a patrol." She searched her mind for the least dangerous position for Sans. "You'd be a sentry."

Sans looked ready to burst with joy. "Thank you! I won't let you down, I promise!"

"It's just a sentry job. You see anything suspicious, you report it and let one of the guards handle it. Okay?"

"Yes, I will be the best sentry you've ever had!" Sans absolutely buzzed with excitement, his previous fears forgotten. "Then, I can become a guard!"

"You'd need actual training for that." Quickly realizing her mistake, Alphys did her best to prevent the pleased expression of the skeleton from disappearing. "I could train you."

"You'd do that?" He squeaked.

Alphys' toothy grin spread. "Of course, punk!"

Sans' joy was promptly eliminated by the arrival of one very tall skeleton.

"There you are." Papyrus' arm wrapped around his brother. "You didn't come home with the groceries."

Alphys was too busy wondering about how exactly she had missed seeing him approach to notice the change in Sans.

He wasn't about to explode in excitement anymore. His bouncing had entirely stopped. Sans just stood there.

Papyrus was a different story. Lifting Sans into his arms, he began to walk away. He waved a seemingly happy goodbye to the yellow monster.

"Sorry if he bothered you too much."

"Oh!" Alphys was brought into the present abruptly. "Training starts tomorrow, punk! 6am sharp, don't be late!"

"I won't!"

"What training?" Papy's voice was low and menacing.

"I'm going join the Guard." Sans managed to squeak out before a nauseous sensation overcame him.

It filled him with dread. Papy only carried him through a shortcut when it was incredibly important. He must be really angry.

Papyrus didn't waste time. As soon as they arrived back home, Sans was sent flying into the wall, a large crack splitting his skull. The small skeleton expected to see full blown rage, hate even, when he looked up at his brother. It wasn't there.

Papyrus didn't look like he was feeling anything. His face was devoid of any semblance of emotion. He looked empty.

It was silent as Papyrus approached. There was only a moments' pause before Sans felt an unholy pain erupt from his right leg. His tibia was snapped clean through.

"What kind of idiotic thought made you think that you should join the Royal Guard?"

Sans went to speak but only a whimper came out as his other tibia was also snapped. Papyrus didn't want a response. He didn't care what the small skeleton had to say.

"You're just going to let everyone walk all over you!"

His femurs were both crushed as well.

"You'd just beg for everyone to be nice." Papyrus laughed maniacally. "They. Will. Crush. You."

Each word was accentuated by a kick to San's already broken legs.

"P-Papy," Sans choked down his sobs as Papyrus stomped on his, still tender, gloved hands. Papyrus hated crying. "P-Please s-stop!"

There was just a flicker of something as the tall skeleton sunk to the floor in front of his brother. Sans latched onto it like a lifeline. Maybe Papy wasn't really mad. Maybe he was just scared or confused.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?"

The tall skeleton momentarily disappeared. He reappeared wielding something Sans always dreaded, the knife. Without so much as a word, Papyrus pulled up the smaller skeleton's shirt to expose his ribs.

The all too familiar feeling of knife on bone elicited a quiet whimper from the small skeleton as the sharp pain overcame the slightly duller throbbing from his legs. Although he couldn't see it, Sans knew the pattern which would be decorating his ribs. It would always be the same string of ones and zeros on each rib. Each time the cuts only got deeper.

"You don't even know how concerned I was!" Papy growled. "I thought you'd…"

Papyrus cut himself off with a particularly rough stab to his brother's rib. The tall skeleton's intended statement was lost as he focused on the task at hand. He sped up 'decorating' the bones, occasionally stabbing at available vertebrae before returning to the ribs, with no more attention being paid to their owner.

Sans couldn't take anymore. His tears fell freely as his brother carved away. With each strike, he shook in misery until he finally lost consciousness.

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 **Cakegirl2**

 **I am so excited to see what happens next and you are an amazing writer! keep up the good work! :D**

Thank you! I'm doing my best not to disappoint. Thanks again.

 **Firehedgehog**

 **so pretty much dark papy must die**

It definitely could solve some problems before they arise. You know, dark Papy is a pretty accurate representation of Papyrus in this. Thanks for reading!

 **Guest**

 **I like it, perfectly written in my opinion, but swap pap would never do that.**

 **Otherwise, great story**

I'm glad you like the story even though you don't think swap Pap would do anything like that. Perhaps it would help to think of this Papyrus in terms of being a dark Papy like Firehedgehog said. Thanks so much for reading!

 **DaKawaiiPotato**

 **Omg this is so good! I find it hard to find good Underswap fanfics keep up the good work! :)**

It is so wonderful knowing people like my story. Thank you for reading and supporting me!

 **KawiiChicken**

 **WHAT DID THAT ABUSIVE CARROT DO THE THE POOR AND LOVING BLUEBERRY!1!?NGAHHH!(Calms down)**

 **Anyways,good chapter!**

 **…**

 **We must prepare ourselves for chapter three...**

 **Set up a punching bag,get a giant carrot,a knife,a giant blueberry,and a blanket.**

 **We use the punching bag to train,and release our anger,stab the carrot,and put a blanket over the blueberry.**

 **Then cook the carrot into soup and feed it to the annoying dog!**

 **Srry if anything sounds weird.**

I very much support your preparation method. I just have one question. Did you feel prepared enough? The precious blueberry is in a lot of pain right now so I'm certain he would be surprised by and appreciate the kind sentiment of the blanket. Thanks for reading!

 **Guest**

 **This is ridiculous yah know? US pap has UT sans' personality and he would never do this. This might as well be an entire new AU with the original UT characters remaining since theres absolutely no point for this to be a US story**

I'm going to have to disagree with you. I understand that typically, Undertale Sans and Underswap Papyrus aren't presented as acting in this manner. Despite that, this doesn't seem like an entirely new AU (coming from someone who is actually working on an AU). There simply isn't that much change between this story and traditional Underswap. Papyrus is the only noticeable difference. The point for this to be an US story can be boiled down into an incredibly simple statement; I want to write it this way. Even though we disagree, I appreciate you reading my story!

 **Fear 552**

 ***opens portal with fox magic* MOOOOOORE! IF YOU DONT WRITE MIRE SOON THEN... *grabs a kawaii Fear strait out of Inside Out* ...FEAR GETS IT! puts paw near Fear's head and claws come out***

(I hope this is what you meant…)

Look, here's some more. There's no need to threaten anyone over another chapter. You can always get your fix on Fridays! Thanks for reading.

 **Foxofcolors**

 **I can't decide whether or not i should love or hate this story. It's really well written so far though, and I wonder why Sans thinks he has no friends. It was nice to have a update schedule, usually people that I read update whenever they have time. It's also nice to know there won't be smut. See you Friday and keep up the great work!**

You could love to hate the story or hate how much you love it. The explanation to Sans believing he has no friends is a bit complex but here we go. In painful situations (like this one), you try to hide how much you are suffering for fear of hurting others, not wanting to be seen as weak, fear of not being believed, or to protect the individual causing you pain (especially common when that individual is someone you care about). But you see this causes a problem. Although you are trying to prevent others from noticing, spending time around those who you would consider your friends makes you start to question things. You'll notice all their little quirks and tells but they don't seem to notice yours. As a result, the individual can start to over analyze these situations and wonder, "Wouldn't a real friend notice something? Wouldn't they say something?". That will go on and only increase as you slowly isolate from others. Eventually, one might convince themselves that the only one who cares about them is the one causing them pain because that individual is the only one left around them. In no way is this a healthy situation, but it does happen. (I'm terribly sorry, that ended up longer than expected.) The funny thing about update schedules is that I'm more likely to get something done with a deadline but if I do it whenever I think I've got time, nothing will ever be written. So it works out for the best for both of us! Don't worry, you are in a smut free zone! Thank you so much for reading!

 **ddani121212**

 **I'm really enjoying the story so far. Jeep up rhe good work.**

I'm so glad you're enjoying this! Thank you for such a nice comment and reading!

 _Your feedback has been so wonderful. Thank you all for reading and supporting this story!  
_

 _As a really random side note, I realize that reading situations such as these can cause people to remember other unpleasant situations they've experienced or can worsen depressing thoughts. Although I support using imagination to release your anger at fictional characters, I do not support the actual abuse or harming or real people. Please tell me if I'm not doing the topic justice or if there is a specific piece of information I appear to be missing to accurately present this topic. If necessary, I will bump the rating to M. Additionally, don't be scared to message me if you just need someone to talk to. I may not be able to understand exactly what you are going (or have gone) through, but I will do my best to be supportive and non-judgemental._

 _You are all wonderful people, please don't forget that._


	4. Chapter 4

**The rating has changed to M.**

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 **Thanks for reading!**

Chapter 4:

When Sans woke up, everything hurt. It wasn't the normal pain. It was worse. While his legs and hands throbbed painfully, it was his ribs that really caught his attention.

They burned with such pain that Sans nearly swore he could feel the blade scraping away. Trying to examine his wounds only made it worse. Hissing, the small skeleton managed to sit partially up and lean against the wall.

The new position instantly alerted him to something else which was very wrong. He had rattled. More specifically, his ribs had rattled as something slid out of his shirt. Carefully, the small skeleton lifted the bottom of his shirt.

Dust. There was just so much dust. How had he not noticed? He was practically swimming in it but there was something else. In the dust, were bones. Tiny little fragments of white dotted the gray dust. Some of the larger pieces caught his eye.

The designs were unmistakable. Numbers were clearly carved deeply into each segment. They were his ribs.

Panic took hold of Sans' soul as he stared down at the pieces. Cautiously, he picked one up in his still throbbing hands. It didn't seem real. Papyrus he hadn't…

His brother had never gone that far. Carving, fractures, and broken bones weren't uncommon but these weren't just broken. They had been demolished. Even if Sans had magic and energy to spare, he couldn't just reattach them.

The best he could hope for was growing them back. He wasn't even certain if that was possible. The carvings didn't heal over so it didn't seem likely that his ribs could grow back, good as new.

Struggling with the pain, Sans was able to remove his shirt. It didn't make him feel better. No, it made everything much worse.

At least half his ribs were broken clean off and contributing to the pile of dust. The rest weren't in a much better condition. The carvings had been particularly deep. At some sections, the amount holding the bone together was as thin as spider legs.

One rib specifically burned more than the rest. It was on his upper left side. The rib, or what was left of it, had a note attached to it by an old nail.

He could just rip the paper off but the nail would still be stuck there. If there was one thing Sans couldn't risk, it was an infection. There'd be no way to get it treated.

Steadying his hand, he slowly tugged at the nail. It didn't budge. No matter how he hard he picked at it, the nail wasn't coming out. Biting into own shirt to muffle the scream, Sans broke the rib.

Breathing, it was suddenly very difficult. Blinking back tears, Sans focused on the note. It had obviously been written by Papyrus.

 _Went to Muffet's. This mess better be clean when I get back._

That was it. There was nothing to signify that Papyrus was even worried about the condition of the small skeleton. The note was there solely to tell him to clean up.

Sans didn't know exactly how he felt. Part of him was stunned that his brother really didn't seem to care. Another part denied it out right.

There was no way Papy didn't care. He had to care. He was his brother!

Then there was this small sliver of him that just nagged at him softly. When had Papy ever cared? The taller skeleton kept so many things hidden; it wasn't impossible to believe that Papyrus had just hidden his feelings, but it was getting harder.

It all seemed so wrong. The note, the nail, and his shattered bones didn't seem right. It had been so unnecessary.

But he had an out. Alphys had agreed to train him. All he had to do was impress her and he'd be free! Then he wouldn't have to worry about Papy. He just had to get training.

Sans cringed upon seeing the clock on the wall. It was already 5:30. If he didn't get going soon, he'd definitely be late. He couldn't be late.

Tapping into his magic, the small skeleton set out to mend as much of body as he could. His legs and skull were his main priorities. Without his legs, he'd never get there. A crack in his skull would surely tip Alphys off to something being wrong. She'd never let him in if she knew he couldn't even defend himself!

In a hurry, he healed his bones. They would be brittle but it'd have to work. Food would help but there simply wasn't the time, not to mention the unlikelihood of the cabinets actually being unlocked. Pushing past the lingering pain, the small skeleton quickly brushed up the dust. He bolted out of the door at 5:40.

Hurrying, Sans made it to the yellow monster's home only seconds before 6 o' clock. Alphys was already outside. The small skeleton took a deep breathe before approaching.

"Punk! You made it!"

"Yep, I'm here." His response was lacking in enthusiasm, something Alphys would surely notice.

Yet, she didn't. The yellow monster seemed entirely oblivious.

"You ready to train?"

"Yes."

"I can't hear you!" Alphys was apparently a yelling only motivator.

"Yes!"

"I said ARE YOU READY?" Her voice boomed.

"YES!" Sans yelled as loud as he could.

"Great! LET'S GO!"

She was off, the small skeleton left scrambling to catch up. The two ran around the underground at full sprint. The entire time Sans struggled just to keep moving.

Oh, it hurt. Everything hurt. Why did he have to hurt so much?

Finally, much to Sans' relief, they returned to Alphy's house. The yellow monster didn't seem to have had any issues with the run. Sans, on the other hand, was quite dizzy. He blinked back tears for the second time that day.

"ALRIGHT! Now, um, punk?" Alphys was giving him an odd look. "You okay?"

"Yep." Be energetic and positive, that's what she wants. "Never been better!"

"Then let's SPAR!" She roared only moments before sending attacks his way.

Magic swirled around them. While Alphys seemed genuinely happy about sparring, Sans was terrified. He had to dodge, getting hit wasn't an option.

The pain in his legs was excruciating. Left and right he dodged, occasionally ducking moments before an attack skimmed by him. He didn't get hit.

It was his turn. All he had to do was impress Alphys. Summoning an intricate pattern of small bones, he sent it her way. His already drained energy couldn't keep the attack up for long.

He was so exhausted. He had gone well beyond being tired at this point. The first attack of Alphys' second turn hit him directly.

Sans was sent flying. His ribs throbbed in protest to the assault. He began to weep. He had failed. He couldn't even last two rounds. There was no way she would let him join the guard now.

"Wow, I'm sorry." She was right there.

She would see the wounds and no how much of a failure she was. She would see him. He was such a miserable failure.

"I put a bit too much into that one." She grinned. "I didn't know skeletons could fly!"

Shifting, Sans felt dust trickling. Was he going to die? Maybe that'd be for the best. He'd get his freedom after all.

"Guess I owe you, punk!" Alphys had easily picked up the small skeleton. "Let's make lunch. That'll have you raring to go in no time!"

He was in the house now. Every inch of his being wanted to run. The longer he stayed, the more likely she would know. Food could heal him, though. If he got to eat, then she'd never know. Alphys was too busy throwing open cabinets to see just how anxious the skeleton was.

He fidgeted where he sat before making a risky decision.

"Can I help?"

"YEAH!" Her toothy grin helped make him a little more comfortable. "Shred that lettuce. OBLITERATE IT!"

Doing his best to 'obliterate' the lettuce, Sans dared ask another question. "What are we making?"

"We're having tacos, punk!"

"Oh."

"Don't you like tacos?" She had paused to stare at him quizzically.

"Yeah, it's just…" He searched for the best way to say it without angering Alphys. "I really suck at making them. Papy always says I do it wrong."

"That's no problem!" She seemed incredibly eager. "I'll teach you how to make the BEST TACOS EVER!"

"Really?" Sans was surprised by how willing she was to teach him. Not only was she training him for the Royal Guard, she would also teach him to cook!

"Yeah, now DESTROY that lettuce!"

It didn't take long for the cooking duo to make a mess of the kitchen. When they completed their tacos, Sans was a bit confused. They tasted so different. Was this why Papyrus never like his?

He could make the alterations if this is what tacos were supposed to taste like. They weren't bad by any means and something about the cooking method made him feel a bit happier, relaxed even. The food may not have fully healed his injuries but he was doing much better.

"So, I'm still going to be a sentry, right?" His voice quivered slightly.

"Duh!" She handed him a map with locations marked out. "These are your sections. You're looking out for anything amiss."

"Okay, I can do that." It wasn't that large of a section.

"Oh, and Papyrus signed up as a sentry too. So you won't be alone out there."

He didn't respond to that. If Papyrus was a sentry, did he want to join the Guard? Was Sans messing things up for him?

"If you catch a human, I'll guarantee you a spot in the Guard." Alphys half joked. "Anyway punk, I've got a meeting to get to so be safe!"

The two parted ways. Sans headed to his posts, dreading running into Papyrus. Hopefully, he didn't get into trouble for eating the tacos with Alphys.

Alphys' happy demeanor dropped the minute the skeleton was out of her sights. Scowling, she ran off to meet with the Royal Scientist. Something was going on. What kind of Captain would she be if she hadn't noticed something was wrong with her newest recruit? She was determined to figure it out.

* * *

 **BadDRUMMERboy15**

 ***grabs US papyrus by his hoodie**

 **DO IT AGAIN, AND I WILL END YOU**

Oh, he will. He hasn't even begun to learn his lesson yet… Thanks for reading!

 **A Friendly Anon**

 **I simultaneously love and hate this. On one hand I absolutely love the writing, concept, and development and I can't wait for each chapter. On the other hand: BLUEBERRY NO OH GOD WHY PAPYRUS WHY MUST YOU HURT THE SMOL SKELE?! WHY MUST VIOLENCE AND ABUSE EXIST?! Seriously though, the writing is just amazing, keep it up! *thumbs up* :)**

I'm so thrilled! The comment on liking the concept, development, and writing made me smile so much. I can't help but wonder, is this US! Papyrus just as bad as or worse than typical UF! Papyrus? Also, violence and abuse really suck. In stories, they are interesting to read and write but it would be nice if they didn't exist irl. Thank you for reading and the nice comments! (You're really living up to your name.)

 **F0rever l0st gir1**

 **crys as i hold my soule**

/Hands over some tissues/ Here you go. Be careful with that soul there, wouldn't want someone to steal it. Thanks for reading!

 **Hollow**

 **Through this story i imagine UT!Sans eyes flash and telling US!papyrus gettttt dunked on! either that or just a gaaster blaster to the face US!papyrus deserves it...**

If Sans from multiple universes came and dunked on US!Papyrus, I'd still think he deserved it. Gaster Blasters to the face and all. (Can you imagine how Geno would react to this Papyrus? Oh dear.) Thanks for reading!

 **KawiiChicken**

 **...i wasnt prepared at all...**

 **I'm gonna need a bigger,more painful knife and more weapons with maybe ten giant more blankets and nice stuff for blueberry!Good chapter,as the way that I'm happy you updated,but this is really a bad sad chapter,in the way that makes you scream,NO BLUE!,I WILL KILL YOU PAPYRUS! type of**

I feel so evil right now. I totally get what you're saying about the good/bad chapter. I'm glad you're enjoying it. Can't say I didn't warn ya'. Thanks for reading!

 **The Rude Girl**

 **Man im loving ur writing n this concept so much! So i really would like the chaps to be longer, but not pressuring u or anything.**

Ah, thank you! This chapter is about the length of two previous chapters so I hope you enjoy (1700ish words instead of around 750). I'll do my best to make chapters longer but there's no guarantee. Thanks for reading!

 **Cakegirl21**

 **UNDERSWAP PAPYRUS WILL HAVE A BAD TEM FOR DOING THIS**

He's definitely deserving of a bad time! Thanks for reading.

 **ChaosChain0**

 **I may not know much about this Au but it's a really good story and a message to Blueberry "Don't worry berry we fans will never ever let anything harm you even if a lot of have to die it's a price we are willing to share" smiles warmly and so so does the fans "EVERBODY WE HAVE A JOB TO DO, LETS KILL THE CORRAT TOP" we all roared in agreement. (Sorry if this was long. )**

I'm glad you like it! Yes, it is a wonderful message to Blueberry. "No matter what, people care about you!" I love how eager everyone is to punish Papyrus. This is the sort of lovely sibling protectiveness that Blueberry is missing. (Don't be sorry, it isn't that long.) Thanks for reading!

 **Mourag**

 ***uwaaaaah!* *dies from all the good and touching feels in this* Keep up the good work!**

Wait don't die, there so much more coming! Thank you!

 **ddani121212**

 **Omg I don't know what it is about torturing Blueberry that gets me so exicted to read but I feel so bad for him while I can't get enough of it. Great job on the chapter.**

I don't know. I get excited to write this but don't have the answers to why (maybe I just relate to pain too well, who knows) so I'm not much help there. Thank you for reading and the compliment!

 **DaKawaiiPotato**

 **YASSSSSS ANOTHER ONE IS OUT! I hope Alphys finds out and kicks Papys a** huh never thought I'd say that XD**

Alphys is definitely on the hunt now! Papy will deserve everything that Karma dishes out. Thanks for reading!

 **meh**

 **Wait...so does any one find out later on? It'd be really sad if he always got abused...like always T_T**

Yes! This doesn't stay hidden forever. I can't say what happens with Sans and Papyrus at that point because SPOILERS but things like this can't be kept secret forever! Thanks for reading!

 _Thank you all for your continued reading and support! I greatly appreciate it. I'm booting the rating of this story up to M, however it will never include smut. I promise you guys that. (This is a serious enough problem without Blueberry going through that too.) As always, thank you._

 _If there is anything I've messed up, no matter how (grammar, spelling, portrayal of the topic, etc...) please feel free to tell me. If you guys just want to talk or something, I'm always willing to lend an ear.  
_

 _Have a great week, you incredibly sweet people!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Chapter 5:

Each step brought forth an uncomfortable ache within Sans' bones. He was so sore and tired. Everything throbbed with a slightly duller pain than this morning. His actual physical state had improved since he had left home but he still didn't feel good.

Home. That's the only place Sans really wanted to go. He wanted to crawl into bed and just hide from Alphys and Papyrus. He'd hide from the whole world if he could.

He had utterly failed to impress Alphys. He knew it. He'd just have to do better. Maybe as a sentry he could stand out.

But there was a thought nagging at him. What about Papyrus? He'd signed up as a sentry too. Why?

Papyrus wasn't one to be very sharing and he'd never seemed interested in the Royal Guard until today. Or had Sans just failed to notice? Had he unknowingly interfered in his brother's dreams?

Resigning himself to uncertainty, Sans shuffled around his post. At some point during an area inspection, he was bound to run into Papyrus. Then what? Was his brother angry? What would he do?

The occasional monster passed by but none spoke to him. Although he could sit around and wait, Sans quickly grew antsy. He had to stand out somehow if he was going to make up for how miserably he had failed this morning! Like this, he was practically invisible.

He would do a patrol. If he saw Papyrus, so be it. He had to succeed at this. He didn't have any other options.

Alphys stampeded through the underground into Hotland. She had to see Undyne right this minute. Everything else could wait.

Seeing the fish monster glugging water in her lab caused Alphys to wonder. Why did a fish monster even consider living in Hotland? It probably had something to do with her seemingly endless well of self-hate. That kind of negativity could make any monster do crazy things.

It was the notion of crazy things happening which had brought her here. Alphys waited until Undyne ceased drinking to talk. She didn't want to startle the fish monster too much.

"UNDYNE! I NEED HELP!"

"W-What? I-Is everything o-okay?" Undyne sputtered. "Are you h-hurt?"

"EVERYTHING IS NOT OKAY!" Taking a moment to adjust her voice, Alphys dived right in. "I told you about the little skeleton who wants to join the Guard, right? He showed up for training but he was different. He was sluggish and looked exhausted! Not in the, too excited to sleep kind of way. It was more like he'd already spent all of his energy before getting there!"

"Well, um, m-maybe he was j-just r-really tired?" The scientist barely managed to squeak in before her companion continued.

"He's not weak like this! I mean, he isn't the strongest, but the punk has spunk. Today, he was a totally different monster! He seemed excited at first but he struggled to keep up. When we sparred, it was like fighting a tomato!"

"H-How w-was it like f-fighting a t-tomato?"

"He just kinda rolled around. Even when it was his turn, his attacks were no stronger than accidental splatter! In one hit, he was done. It shouldn't have been enough to really hurt him but…" Concern was apparent when Alphys dropped her voice even quieter. "I saw his dust!"

"D-Dust?"

"YEAH! IT WAS ALL OVER THE LITTLE GUY! HE DIDN'T EVEN SAY ANYTHING. IT WAS LIKE HE WAS USED TO IT OR SOMETHING!"

"Are you s-sure it was d-dust, not s-snow or s-something?"

Alphys shook her head vigorously. "I KNOW what dust looks like."

"Right, right, um, maybe he's sick? If you b-bring him in, I c-could examine h-him."

"WHAT KIND OF SICKNESS MAKES YOU DUST?"

"W-well, um, lots actually. Each m-monster is different so a-anything that diverts magic away f-from primary f-functions could mean that they d-don't p-produce enough to be s-stable." This was obviously more of the scientist's forte. "T-There's normally s-symptoms prior to the d-dusting, though. H-Has he been nauseous or dizzy?"

"I don't know! He just seems off."

"Was he coughing up dust or was he just d-dusting?"

"JUST DUST!"

"T-Then he m-might n-not be sick. D-did you ever CHECK him? He c-could have r-really low stats."

"No, I didn't CHECK him! But, I've seen him take hits before. Other monsters have picked on him and he didn't dust!"

"D-Did you ask h-him if s-someone attacked him or s-something?"

"NO, he would have told me!"

"Are you s-sure? Y-You don't really k-know him."

"I thought he would. I'M TRAINING HIM!"

"M-maybe that's why he d-didn't?" Undyne fidgeted nervously. "It'd be p-pretty embarrassing for m-me, especially if I w-wanted to j-join the Guard."

"YEAH, BUT I CAN'T HELP IF HE DOESN'T TELL ME ANYTHING!"

"H-He c-could want to f-fix it on h-his own."

"EVEN SO, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON!"

"I get it. T-There's no r-reason to s-shout. M-maybe if you w-wait, he'll t-tell you."

"UGHHH!" Alphys gave an apologetic grin. "Sorry, I just hate not knowing."

"I know, I know. I'll l-look through s-some of my f-footage. M-Maybe I'll f-find s-something that can t-tell you w-what has b-been occurring."

"That's great, Undyne. It's just, I hate not helping. Can't I do something?"

"H-have you asked h-his b-brother?"

"His brother?"

Undyne smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, you'd said b-before that he lives with h-his brother, right? M-mmaybe, he'd know?"

"UNDYNE! YOU ARE A GENUIS!"

"T-Thanks."

"HIS BROTHER HAS TO KNOW!"

"W-well, yes, b-but maybe d-don't t-tell that you k-know. If h-he w-wants to f-figure it out on h-his own, it w-won't help if y-you j-just fix it f-for him."

"FINE!" Alphys was already headed to the door. "I don't have to fix anything as long as I know what's going on. Then, I can train him on how to fix it himself! It's perfect!"

"I'll call if I f-find anything."

"THANKS UNDYNE, YOU'RE THE BEST!"

Alphys quickly departed, leaving the scientist with at least a day's worth of footage to sort through. While Undyne was entirely confident in Alphys' ability to get to the bottom of it, Alphys was a different story. The idea of something going on right under her nose that she had apparently been too blind to see really rubbed her the wrong way. She just hoped that Papyrus could help her figure it out.

* * *

 **ddani121212**

 **THANK GOD FOR ALPHS! DON'T WORRY BLUEBERRY HELP IS ON THE WAY!**

Help is on the way, straight to his brother… Maybe he should worry a teensy bit. Thanks for reading!

 **BadDRUMMERboy15**

 **Papyrus... Don't you know how to greet a new pal? Turn around and shake my hand**

 ***papyrus turns around***

 ***he notices your hand is not outstretched**

 **But yknow, I'd be lying if I shook your hand like we were pals. IF YOU TOUCH BLUEBERRY AGAIN I WILL PERSONALLY MAKE SURE ERROR COMES TO THJS TIMELINE AND ERASES YOU... actually... Maybe not error. BUT WHATEVER!**

Yes, Papyrus is definitely not the kinda guy who you could call a pal. It'd be better to stay far away from him, unless you happen to know a destroyer of worlds or enough about timelines to give the guy some serious trouble. So, looks like you're good. Thanks for reading!

 **Coolc341**

 **OH GODS. Just got the update, and poor Sans! He can barely fight! D: I'm really hoping that Alphy accidently cuts his armor, exposing his damaged ribs, patches him up and then takes nice, good care of him...THEN STORMS INTO PAPYRUSES HOUSE AND SENDS HIS ASS STRAIGHT TO THE F*CKING VOID. Then calmly goes back to Sans and gives him hot coco, tacos, and a warm blanket! :D**

Yeah, Sans is definitely going through a rough time (life really). While Alphys hasn't discovered the truth, the idea of her sending Papyrus to the void is incredibly appealing. When she figures everything out, I'm positive there will be some crazy vengeance going on. (If she can catch him…) Thanks for reading!

 **Cakegirl21**

 **oh my god, not my little blueberry sans! don't worry my friends and i will save you! *gathers up friends, grabs AK47, a machine gun, and and the most OP characters in all of the undertale AUs to get back at US! papyrus for doing this!**

The Blueberry still very much needs your assistance! Out of curiosity, which OP undertale/AU characters are you bringing? (Now you've got me thinking of how much I'd enjoy characters from other AUs to get at US!Papyrus. That would be something to experience.) Thanks for reading!

 **KillerChild67**

 **...Give me the biggest knife you have, an axe, a book of torture methods, and a whole lot of things for torture...I will allow Error!Sans to kill this f*cker and I will f*ck him right in the a**. I think Geno (Maybe) will not be please with me or Ink, but Papyrus has gone to far. Even making me not call him Papy. He doesn't deserve it. Either way great story keep up the good work!**

Your name is incredibly suited to this comment. Have a dagger. I think Geno might be a bit more willing to help Error in this case than most. Ink, on the other hand, will look the other way as long as the universe is still stable (I think. But now I wish his creator would clarify on Ink's morals and the like. Unless I've somehow missed that info, then I'll just have to read it). Thanks! I'm so glad you are enjoying it. Thank you for reading.

 **DaKawaiiPotato**

 **YES ALPHYS KEEP SEARCHING! *Axe of retribution starts to play* (or whatever you have as your headconnon us Alphys theme XD) hey Error? Error: yeah? Now would be a good time to kidnap blue. Error: naw this is funny. You sick f. Error: lol I'm cool with that**

Oooh, I don't have a head canon for the US! Themes yet. I'll definitely be looking around. (Thanks, I love music so any excuse to listen to some is awesome for me!) Sometimes I am you and at others I am Error. (Hey, Error. You're cool with anything I create as long as there's pain? Awesome, that's quickly became my specialty!) Thanks for reading!

 **MrGohan**

 **You know why i HATE this story?**

 **F*** YOU PAPYRUS DO T YOU DARE HURT BLUE**

Channel that hate towards Papyrus, yes good, now you can share any and all of your carefully constructed plans for revenge! Thanks for reading!

 **Knights the hedgehog**

 ***cries* yessssssssssss**

 **Alphys is on the case! and I'm glad blueberry is finally coming to somewhat of terms with pappy not really 'carrying' about him. oh and that mal in blueberrys ribs? yeah, papyrus, that's going through you're skull**

She is on the case! Now you just have to worry about her accidentally messing up Sans' life before she can actually help… Blueberry has a long way to go to fully come to terms about everything. The little guy is NOT in a healthy relationship with his brother, that's for sure. You might bring a few extra nails in addition to what you put in his skull, you know, in case you need to leave him to get a snack or something. It'd be awful rude for him not to know and the nail guarantees he sees it! That's what he did anyway. Thanks for reading!

 **KawiiChicken**

 **Nice chapter!Alphys,PLEASE FIGURE OUT THAT HE IS BEING ABUSED!Talk to Undyne!**

Thanks! She talked to Undyne alright. It just may not have the best results… Thanks for reading!

 **One Zero**

 **Oh I love this fanfic please let the next update be soon!**

I'm so glad you're enjoying this! I update every Friday (not a specific time on Fridays just Friday). Thanks for reading!

 **Samantha**

 **This seems more Fell then Swap XD jbh**

You aren't the first person to think that. (These comments make me wonder how you guys would react to how I write Fell. It's so much different.) I hope you enjoy it anyway! Thanks for reading.

 _This ended up being shorter than expected, sorry.  
_

 _I hope you are all enjoying this story. Thank you so much for all your continued support!_

 _Have a great week!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Chapter 6:

Alphys found Papyrus with ease. He wasn't anywhere near his stations. He was at Muffet's.

Between Guards going in for breaks and the owner's endless stream of advertisement to drum up business, it was no wonder Muffet's was always busy. Sitting in the establishment, Papyrus was cracking jokes and nursing his drink. Alphys could only guess it was some variant of spider cider.

She tapped the skeleton lightly before exiting the building. This wasn't a conversation to be having in large crowds. Thankfully, Papyrus joined her a few minutes later.

He immediately leaned against the building and pulled out a smoke. With a flick of the lighter, the skeleton hummed happily, exhaling smoke on occasion. Dismissing her curiosity, Alphys focused on the task at hand.

"Look, we need to talk."

"Hmm?" The skeleton kept smoking.

"IT'S ABOUT SANS!"

Papyrus barely glanced over. "Oh, how'd training go?"

"He hasn't told you?" Alphys waited.

There wasn't even a flicker of emotions across the skeleton's face as he put out the cigarette.

"I wouldn't have to ask if he had told me." Now, he didn't look happy. "In fact, I haven't seen Sans since this morning."

"Is there anything that's been going on with him? Has he been spending more time with new monsters or coming home hurt?"

"Only you but I thought we were talking about training."

"I need to know, Papyrus. Has there been anything unusual happening?"

"Training, Alphys. He's done absolutely nothing out of the normal besides training. So how did that go?"

"It went badly, like really badly." Had she been a weaker monster, Alphys would surely be unable to meet the skeleton's blank stare. "He was covered in dust!"

"Oh." He lit another cigarette.

The skeleton's nonchalant behavior was really aggravating Alphys.

"WAS HE DUSTING WHEN YOU LAST SAW HIM? IF HE WAS, YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT I WILL DO!"

"Whatcha getting at Alphys?" He growled. "Do you really think I would have let Sans go training _with you_ if he was going to die in the process?"

"HOW DA-"She bit her tongue, it wouldn't help. "MAYBE YOU DIDN'T NOTICE."

"Yes, because the monster that raised him and reads him bedtime stories wouldn't be able to tell the difference between him seriously hurting and him on a normal morning."

"FINE." Alphys couldn't argue with that. Pretty much any monster that had met the brothers would vouch for how much Papyrus talked about his brother. "Just, answer a few questions for me. Okay?"

"All you had to do was ask." The skeleton gave an unsettling grin. "Shoot."

"What happened this morning?"

"I already told you. Nothing happened."

"Just walk me through it." Although patience wasn't her specialty, she was doing her best. As it was, the urge to rip apart the underground and interrogate any sketchy looking monster was incredibly strong.

"I got up. My bro, he's usually a pretty early riser but he was still sleeping. Normally, he wouldn't be out as late as he was last night so it's to be expected that it would drain him." Papyrus took a deep drag and paused a moment before continuing. "I wrote him a little note to tell him I was headed to Muffet's. Left it where I knew he'd see it. That's all I've seen of Sans today."

"Thank you." Alphys was clearly disappointed. "Did he look any different this morning? Perhaps a bit paler or a bit more brittle or something?"

"Nope, he looked exactly the same as he did last night."

"And you're positive that he hasn't been doing anything out of the ordinary?"

"As I said, the only unusual thing has been him deciding to join the Guard."

"I see."

"Maybe that's it."

"What?"

The skeleton adjusted his lanky frame, appearing much taller. "Maybe if you hadn't decided to enlist him, he wouldn't be hurt. There are countless monsters that don't appreciate the Royal Guard meddling in their business. It seems plausible that one of those monsters decided to take things out on the easiest sentry around."

"Crimes are down. There hasn't been a murder in years! The most we've been dealing with is petty thieves."

"So?"

"A PETTY THIEF ISN'T GOING TO NEARLY KILL ANOTHER MONSTER TO GET BACK AT THE GUARD!"

"No, 'spose that seems reasonable." Papyrus shrugged back into his casual stance. "Doesn't mean someone isn't planning something."

"LIKE WHAT?" Alphys hated the concern that was building. "DID YOU SEE SOMETHING? IT'S YOUR DUTY TO REPORT THINGS DIRECTLY TO A GUARD MEMBER."

"Nope, haven't seen anything. I was just thinking aloud."

"WELL KEEP TALKING!" She had a nagging suspicion that the skeleton was a lot more intelligent than she'd given him credit for. "I WANT TO HEAR IT."

"Well, maybe someone is testing you." Every word was punctuated with a puff of smoke. "Not you specifically, more like testing the Royal Guard."

"Okay, I'm following."

"They'd need to know what resources you had. They'd probably be interested to know how predictable everyone is."

"WE AREN'T PREDICTABLE! SANS JUST JOINED YESTERDAY AND I WASN'T EVEN PLANNING ON IT."

"It just means whoever it is has a close watch on the activities of the Royal Guard."

"SO WHAT? WHAT COULD SOMEONE GAIN FROM HURTING SANS, A BRAND NEW SENTRY WITH ZERO EXPERIENCE IN ANYTHING?"

"A warning maybe? It'd tell a lot about the Guard if they couldn't solve something happening to someone they employ." Casually, Papyrus pulled out another cigarette. "I bet it would scare half the underground to find out about something like this."

"This sounds like some crazy conspiracy theory."

"Hey, I'm just talking through my thoughts. Even if none of this was true, what's to stop other monsters from thinking it?"

Groaning, Alphys had to admit he had a point. If monsters started to think that the Royal Guard couldn't even protect one skeleton, panic would spread wildly. Crime would skyrocket as monsters got cocky and witnesses would be less inclined to cooperate, especially if Sans was targeted for having just becoming a sentry. It'd be a horrible landslide of chaos.

"Do you really think that could be it?"

"Dunno, I'm just a sentry. It could be anything really."

"Alright, thank you." The gears were turning in her head as she tried to figure out how to prevent any chaos from ensuing. "Papyrus…"

"Yep, still here."

"I need you to do something."

"Okay, whatcha need?"

"Patrol with Sans. Keep him moving and keep him away from other monsters for now." She grimaced at the thought of isolating the friendly skeleton. "When he's healed, we can reevaluate. Until then, watch him carefully. I don't want anyone to hear about what happened or this conversation. If you think of anyone or see anyone who stands out, come tell me immediately."

"Okie dokie, can't say Sans will like it though."

"Keep him distracted. As long as he's busy, others won't think we've failed at protecting him. I can't have this leaking out until it's resolved. Do you understand?"

"Gotcha. So, what do you want me to tell him?"

Alphys was silent as she thought. "Tell him to try and catch a human. That's how I said he'd get into the Guard."

"Is that an order for him?"

"Yeah." Her mind had already drifted away from the conversation. Somehow, she'd have to solve this on her own. The other Guards were great but not stellar at keeping things secret, she'd learned that a few birthdays ago. "But remember, no one else can know."

"Someone's going to ask why you pulled me away from my drink."

"You're on the clock. I can't have a drunk sentry."

"No problem." He patted her shoulder as he began walking away. "Don't mind me; I'm just going to tell Sans and get back to work."

Alphys could have sworn she heard him mumble something else but let it slide. She'd have to check in with Undyne to see if she'd figured anything out. Silently, she prayed that the scientist had a large enough collection of cameras to have caught something.

 _"Everything would've been fine if you could've just told him no."_

* * *

 **KawiiChicken**

 **Nice chapter!**

 **Papyrus,don't you lie to Alphys!**

Thank you! Papyrus may not have lied but he definitely only told half-truths… Thanks for reading!

 **KillerChild67**

 **FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFrick...COME ON ALPHYS YOUR NOT HELPING AT ALL. YOUR ONLY GOING TO MAKE THINGS WORSE! Does Undyne put cameras in peoples houses without them knowing, cause if she did then I grateful AND THEN EVERYONE WILL BE ABLE TO HELP THE ADORABLE AND EVERYONE FAVORTIVE BLUEBERRY!**

She's really not helping now. You'll have to find out about the cameras next time. The adorable Blueberry definitely needs the help. Thanks for reading!

 **The Ashen Lord**

 **Really have enjoyed the entire story so far (just caught up with it actually), but I have to admit that while the writing, grammar, and storytelling are all great; I'm a little dissapointed that Alphys figured it out so quickly. Don't get me wrong, this US Papyrus deserves a harsh judgement that will guarantee some pain, but I just thought that you could have dragged it out a little longer for Alphys being in the dark. Its your story though and thus your decision about the pacing, but I would have personally made a small mention from Alphys' POV about seeing a small bit of Dust escape from beneath Bluberry's armor.**

 **Anyway, you are doing a fantastic job at writing and making me feel the feels. Looking forward to the next update :)**

I'm really glad you're enjoying the story so far (cool name btw). I get what you are saying about adding a bit more to show Alphys' moment of recognition of the dust. I considered going back to add a little snippet in but I've yet to come up with something which is both a good addition to the chapter as well as allowing the next chapter to be as interesting. I haven't figured it out yet. The pacing might seem a bit odd because of how close the start of the story is to some major plot points. I struggled with pacing the story out in such a way that Sans' pain doesn't become monotonous and to allow the actual plot of the story to progress. I didn't want this to become a story which solely focuses on inflicting pain. It's a great way to get reactions but there is a plot here. Hopefully as the story progresses, the start doesn't seem as unusual to you. I truly appreciate your kind words. They make me very happy. Thank you for reading!

 **ddani121212**

 **Why do I get the feeling that Blueberry isn't going get helped for a LONG time?**

I don't know why you feel that way, but I hope you're betting money. We are a long way from the resolution of this story. Thanks for reading!

 **TheRandomDreeMurr**

 **(I'm DaKawaiiPotato but I got a real account finally) ITS ABOUT TIME ALPHYS! The Alphys version of Battle against a true hero is playing in my head right now XD(the Alphys version has the same name so good luck finding it lol) I wish I could summon my OC right now. Mimi (that's my OCs name) is so freaking OP that she would use one of her attacks and blast Papyrus all the way to China XD**

(Awesome! Glad to see you got an account.) It may be about time but you're going to have to wait before Papyrus gets his due. Mimi sounds incredible! My OCs are never that OP but Mimi could probably clean house of most of my antagonist! Thanks for reading!

 **Yulan**

 **Augh Alphy figure it out, beat papy up! Undyne you can help too! Sans STAY DETERMINED!**

She's not all that close to figuring it out yet. So please, STAY DETERMINED, all of you. Sans might need to borrow some of that Determination. Thanks for reading!

 **Inkfell**

 **Dear God BLUE MY CINNIMIN ROLE NOOOOOOOO U BETTER MAKE MORE MAN MAKE MOREEEEEEEEEEE NOW WRITE IT NOW NOW I SAY AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ALSO BIG FAN I LOVE YOUR WORK I MAKE FSN FICS AS WELL I SHARE MINE ON YOUTUBE THO IM INKFELL ON YOUTUB PLEASE CHECk IT OUT!¡**!

You read this at a good time. You didn't have to wait too long for the next chapter! (Chapters update every Friday) I'm really glad you are enjoying it so far. I can give your stuff a look this weekend. I always enjoy seeing what the community produces. Thanks for reading!

 _I hope you've all enjoyed your summer. With school starting back, one of my stories has been cut short to allow me time to write and keep up my grades. That doesn't really matter for anyone who is not reading my Underfell Forever and a Day story, however I felt it was important to state that this story will continue on the with scheduled Friday updates. If I'm ever unable to update a chapter, I could always answer some of your questions with pms or on tumblr (same name). I haven't figured that out yet but I'm really hoping that it doesn't become an issue._

 _I am very grateful for everyone who continues to read my stories.  
_

 _Please remember this kind of abuse and manipulation is not healthy. Relationships like what is depicted between Sans and Papyrus should be avoided whether it is with family or not. This is a dangerous situation to be in. Please do not act like Papyrus in this story._


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Chapter 7:

With a few swipes on his phone, Papyrus found Sans trudging through the snow. Although the cold shouldn't have bothered the small skeleton, he shivered with each step. It took all of Papyrus' willpower to not yank the skeleton out of the snow and drag him to their house. After all this ridiculousness was over, his brother was going to be spending a lot more time in his bedroom than he was used to.

"Sans!" He smiled as he scooped the much smaller skeleton up. "I've got a special assignment from Alphys."

"Oh…"

"It's for you."

"W-what is it?" Sans clung to his brother, disbelief clearly showing on his face.

"You and I are going to catch a human."

"But, I haven't seen one."

Walking away from the path, Papyrus tightened his grip on the small skeleton. "Well, that isn't going to be a problem. I know exactly where a human will be."

"If you already know where one is, why stop to get me?"

Papyrus could see his brother's hopes soaring. Sans had latched on tightly to any hope of a gentler, kinder brother. It was obvious. Papyrus could use that.

"You want to join the Guard right?"

"Of course!

"That's how you'll join."

"B-But Papy, I thought you didn't want me to join."

He forced out a sigh. "I was just trying to protect you. I just don't want you to get hurt. I don't think I could stand this place without my brother. If you can capture a human, I won't have to worry about you so much."

Ignoring the shocked and appreciative face of his brother, Papyrus kept walking. It was only a matter of time before Alphys came back. It was impossible to become Captain of the Royal Guard and be dense like a rock. He'd have to deal with her later.

Quickly, they arrived at a calm clearing. The snow was undisturbed and there were no monsters to be seen. It seemed like the perfect place to avoid all life and hide, but Papyrus knew better.

"You're going to play nice. Be the normal happy little skeleton everyone knows." He hissed to Sans before setting the skeleton down. "Perhaps we could build some snow skeletons while we wait for a human."

For a moment, Sans didn't move, his appreciation quickly turning into apprehension. A single glare from Papyrus forced him into action. Quickly, he started piling snow up.

"This'll be fun! Right, Papy?" His voice shook as he searched for approval.

It was dangerous to mess up and put Papyrus in one of his moods. Right now, Papy was being so nice. He didn't want to ruin that.

"Yeah, bro. Lots of fun." Plunking himself into the snow, Papyrus gave a few side glances to the camera, waiting for it to move.

"UNDYNE! DID YOU GET ANYTHING?"

"W-well, yes and n-no."

"WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?" Alphys pulled up a chair next to the scientist who was still staring at her screen.

"W-well, you see. I have S-Sans r-right here." She pointed to a portion of the screen where a frozen image of Sans in front of Alphys' home was. "S-So, I f-followed him in reverse."

"ALRIGHT! SO WHERE'S THE SUCKER WHO MESSED WITH HIM?"

"Um, that's where the no comes in…" Undyne trailed off. "S-see, he's here b-but I d-don't have his trip this morning."

"WHAT?"

"It's n-not my f-fault. T-the cameras seem to have m-malfunctioned." She pulled up a different time stamp on the tapes and pressed play. "Here he is l-leaving the house."

Within a matter of seconds, static covered the screen.

"DON'T YOU HAVE ANOTHER ANGLE OR SOMETHING?"

"Not functioning." Undyne squirmed uncomfortably. "I never put much in Snowdin. It's a small town s-swarming with guardsmen so it d-didn't seem necessary. B-But, all the cameras w-went down around the same time."

"So," Alphys lowered her voice. "All the cameras in, and only in, Snowdin broke at the same on the VERY day someone got hurt?"

"Again, yes and n-no." The scientist squeaked before beginning to ramble. "See, I checked the cameras for possible routes Sans could have taken to get to your house and all of those cameras were out. They weren't broken since they weren't returning static after a certain point. So, I decided to check my cameras from all across the Underground. I wasn't certain if maybe it was an entire outage or a select one. Maybe something happened where there was a disruption or maybe the cameras need replacing. I wasn't entirely certain."

"And?"

"There was n-nothing. Every single camera caught nothing for about an hour this morning. Then, they all started working again. I know the cameras in Hotland are new since I had to replace them only a few weeks ago. So it leaves very few possibilities. Either something blocked signals throughout the entire Underground for an hour and it's just really unfortunate luck, or…"

"Or someone messed with the cameras." Sighing, Alphys finished the statement. "How would someone even be able to do that?"

"I d-don't know. It's possible to mess with each camera individually but to coordinate a simultaneous system wide crash is difficult. Maybe, if they had at least a hundred monsters helping, they could manually control the cameras but they'd have to find them all. P-Plus, I didn't see anyone approaching the cameras prior to the outage."

"Find them? Aren't they in easy to see places?"

"No, s-some are right in the open but there's a handful in other areas."

"Where someone would have to search for it specifically?"

"Yeah, it'd be pretty impossible to stumble on every single hidden one. Some are in really dangerous locations."

"Alright, so how could one person do it remotely?"

"Only I could do that. I can control every camera from this computer."

It took a moment for the meaning of her own words to sink in.

"Oh…"

"I need a list of every monster to visit the lab in the last month."

"I don't have a v-visitor log."

"That's fine, just give me the names of everyone you remember."

"It's not that many monsters. Pretty much only Mettaton, Napstablook, Bratty, Catty, you, and Papyrus have dropped by. " Typing rapidly, the scientist thought aloud. "Bratty and Catty just dropped by for a couple minutes and I d-doubt they'd ever do anything. Neither would Napstablook."

"What did Papyrus need?" Alphys began to feel very uneasy.

"He j-just w-wanted to talk."

"ABOUT WHAT?"

The scientist didn't respond.

"I NEED TO KNOW!"

"It's nothing, really. W-we just talked."

"UNDYNE!" Alphys quietened down. "If I can't get the freak that hurt Sans quickly, he could get hurt again."

"I know! It's just, Papyrus is a good brother. He talks about Sans all the time. He couldn't have anything to do with someone attacking him."

"Just tell me what you talked about!"

Reluctantly, Undyne whispered. "He helps out occasionally."

"With what?"

"Anything, everything. He's r-really smart."

"OKAY. What did he do the last time he visited?"

"W-We just talked."

"ABOUT WHAT?"

"I, um, well…" The scientist's voice was hardly audible as she spoke. "I m-made a mistake. It hurt a lot of m-monsters. H-he f-fixed it. I don't know how b-but s-suddenly they w-weren't hurt anymore. H-he j-just wanted to s-see if I r-remembered."

"HOW THE- You know what, forget it. Where is Papyrus right now? Apparently, I'm going to have to ask him about the cameras!"

Silently, the scientist flicked through a multitude of views. Each image flashed across the screen for only a second in her search for the tall skeleton. Finally, she found the skeleton sitting in the snow as Sans worked on a snow skeleton.

 _"See, I'm super cool and really strong!" The smaller of the two proclaimed. "I'll join the guard one day and be the best."_

 _"Yeah, sure bro. You'll be the greatest."_

"See, he loves his brother!" Undyne sounded slightly offended. "He w-would be distraught if h-he messed with the cameras and Sans g-got hurt for it."

"I've got this bad feeling that I'm missing something and that skeleton knows exactly what it is."

"H-have you considered that m-maybe you h-hit Sans too hard? Sometime y-you d-don't know your own strength."

"THEN HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE CAMERAS? THEY START WORKING ONCE SANS GOT TO MY PLACE BUT STOPPED RIGHT AFTER HE LEFT HOME!"

"Coincidence? It j-just doesn't m-make sense that all cameras were out if S-sans was the only t-target." Undyne was doing her best to remain calm in the face of an angry Captain. "M-Maybe someone is m-messing with the c-cameras or m-maybe I m-messed something up with the system. Either w-way, Sans got hurt and the cameras were out. T-They might not be related."

"THAT'S BULL!"

"We d-don't even k-know that Sans was attacked!"

"What?"

"It's not unheard of for m-monsters to g-get depressed." Undyne switched the screen away from the skeleton brothers. "S-Some t-try painful methods of r-relieving their emotions."

"DID THAT SKELETON LOOK DEPRESSED TO YOU?"

"No, I m-mean it's possible. S-some hide it r-really well."

"YOU'RE BEING IMPOSSIBLE! CALL ME WHEN YOU DECIDE TO ACTUALLY CARE!"

Storming out, Alphys was determined to get answers, real answers.

* * *

 **Cakegirl21**

 **Sorry I didn't review the chapter before this! I forgot my password. Anyways, I can't wait to see what happens next! AND I SWEAR IF PAPYRUS DOES ANYTHING ELSE TO SANS, I WILL STRAIGHT UP KILL HIM ON THE SPOT!**

That's no problem. You don't need to review every chapter. (I really appreciate it but it isn't necessary if you can't.) I think you might need to start thinking up ways to actually hit him because pleasant Papyrus isn't here to stay. Thanks for reading!

 **KawiiChicken**

 **Papyrus,you're a SINnamon 're role in the world is just chapter!( :**

Papyrus is definitely not a nice guy. Thanks for reading!

 **Flooded here**

 **hey so i love this story and im glad that you keep going it makes me have something to do bc my house got flooded in LA so cant wait for friday!**

I'm really happy that you are enjoying this story so far. (I'll do my best not to disappoint.) I'm sorry that your house got flooded but I'm really happy that you seem to be okay. Thanks for reading and stay safe!

 **Knights the hedgehog**

 **please say the cameras get something!**

Nope. Those cameras didn't catch Papyrus at all. In fact, they only seem to help him. Thank you for reading!

 **Guest**

 **While thoroughly enjoying both your writing style, and the story plot, there's that one issue I have with this chapter:**

 **Alphys should be VERY suspicious of Papyrus by now, but she doesn't seem to be, at least not entirely. I mean. He was just informed his brother got half-dusted, and was on the brink of death. Anyone would have been absolutely frantic, and not even await the end of the conversation, but go look for him instead. Papyrus was simply smoking casually, and having a nice little "brainstorming" with Alphys. If that's not a deadly give away, I don't know what is.**

 **I certainly hope Papyrus is going to get his well-deserved punishment soon. (Wow, that's saying something, Pap's one of my favourite characters...)**

I'm glad you are enjoying the story. I agree that Alphys should be very suspicious. She is but can't quite place it yet. Papyrus is a sneaky guy. He stayed to manipulate her and buy a little bit of time.(On the deadly give away part, it's easy for those who know what's going on to think everything is a bit more obvious than those who don't know.) Papyrus is going to get it, soonish. It'll probably be a few more chapters. (I know how this story is going but haven't settled on an exact plan w/ chapter count.) Is it bad that you wanting Papy, one of your favorite characters, to get hurt is a crazy wonderful compliment to me? I hope not because it made me feel really good. Thanks for reading! (In case it isn't clear, I'm not upset about you stating an issue you had. I'm just trying to clarify how I came to choose character actions. I hope it came across correctly.)

 **ravenclawoutcast13**

 **Pappy stay away from the blueberry! I am filled with determination and know how to use it!**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **also love your story and can't wait to read more**

Yay! I'm glad you are enjoying this. Papy isn't staying away from the blueberry, maybe you should use some determination! Thanks for reading!

 **ddani121212**

 **This story really knows how to torture us. Great job. I really just can't wait for when Alphys realized she was tricked. It will be totally beast mode**

Mwuahaha! I feel so evil but I love writing stuff like this. Everyone's reaction makes it all the better. I'm glad you are enjoying it. I've got a special little moment planned for when Alphys puts all the pieces together. Thanks for reading!

 **KillerChild67**

 **Alphys...Alphys...ALPHYS YOU DONFUCKUP YOUR GANNA MAKE SANS FEEL MORE PAIN WHYWHYWHYWHY... Sans...Please Okay...I would die for you right and I rarely say that..Plz. QQ Also I hope you enjoyed your summer AND REMEBER TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND STUDY if you go to school (Imgonnastopnowthisiswaytolong)**

Because pain is the name of the game! Yeah, you won't have to die for Sans (nor would I let you). I absolutely loved my summer! It was short but I really got into the groove writing and I feel like I understand what I can write better now. (I can do happy endings just not happy all the way through stories.) Yep, yep, yep studying and homework are necessary for school! (itisnotthatlongsoidonotmindyoucontinuing) Thanks for reading! [So, there was a review on Change with the same name and I'm assuming multiple same names aren't possible and that was you. I just wanted to say thanks for reading that and I'm quite (evilly) pleased with your reaction.)

 **A Friendly Anon**

 **Oh God... If Papyrus is gonna do what I think he's gonna do to Sans... I'm hoping that Undyne's cameras will be able to see it. I can practically feel the tension from the end of the chapter! Still liking the writing and everything, and I still can't wait for every chapter *thumbs up* :)**

Please tell me what you think he's going to do! I need to know! The question is even if Undyne was able to see what Papyrus might do now, will she see it or believe it. You can practically feel the tension, that's such a great compliment! EeEeeek, I'm so happy! I'm super glad that you are enjoying you for reading and the wonderful compliments!

 **TheRandomDreeMurr**

 **Papyrus: I bet Mimi is a weak little wimp**

 **Mimi: heard you talk'in crap?**

 **Papyrus:bring it on *summons Gaster blaster the size of a car***

 **Mimi: *summons Gaster blaster the size of a house***

 **Papyrus: 0_0 oh sh-**

 **Mimi: *blasts him to dust* that's what you get for hurting the cinnamon roll**

 **XD**

I like Mimi. She's one incredible OC you've got there! Thanks for reading!

 **Inkswap**

 **Oh my goodie gumdrops, my poor baby sansy, I'll gladly share my paint filled DETERMINATION with you! Please be ok my lil blueberry!**

Goodie Goodie Gumdrops. The little blueberry is going to need a lot more than determination to get out of this mess. (But it couldn't hurt, could it?) Thanks for reading!

 _Thank you all for reading! It makes my day seeing reviews. I wanted to make an announcement for my AU that you readers might enjoy. It's called TortureTale. The actual story is a one shot that will introduce you to the world. I'll be doing more world building and character design outside of written format. (Probably a combination of tumblr and deviantart.) I would greatly appreciate it if you checked out the story. Thank you._


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Chapter 8:

Minutes ticked by. Neither skeleton was having a particularly pleasant time in the snow. While Sans agonized over every possible way to keep this Papyrus, the loving Papy who used to always be around, his brother ignored him. All of Papyrus' attention was split between keeping a close watch on the cameras and formulating a plan.

When, not if, Alphys started asking the right people the right question, there'd be hell to pay. It'd only be a matter of time before someone let the tiniest of details slip. As Captain of the Royal Guard, Alphys would figure it out. The littlest of pieces was all she'd need and Papyrus knew it.

It didn't leave him with many options. There was always the option that Sans got sick. It would be relatively simple for the small skeleton to catch an illness when exposed to something in high quantities. Like the good brother he is, Papyrus could care for Sans with his sudden illness. Only after a few days of dismal progress would he make the call for help. No doubt, dear Undyne would insist on examining him. She'd love to be able to play a true hero for once. Even then, she owed him. How far would she be willing to go to hide the true nature of her mistakes? Anything which can be undone can be easily redone.

He could always wait it out. With no new damage, Sans' little issue would quickly be forgotten. It'd be chalked up to some unusual variant of the flu. Then, all would go back to normal. It was straight forward and had the least possible complications.

If all else failed, he would have to handle the problem in a more direct manner. Unfortunate accidents happened. It wasn't unreasonable to assume that someone in such a lofty position as Captain of the Royal Guard would have made quite a few enemies. All attention would be diverted to them and no one would pay the least bit of attention to the skeleton that had been diligently caring for his brother recouping from some unknown illness. It wasn't a perfect back up plan, but it'd have to do.

Sparing a glance at the camera, Papyrus finally saw what he was looking for. The not so subtle movement of the camera only meant one thing; Undyne was showing her system off to Alphys. There was no doubt in his mind that the Captain had her suspicions about him. It only meant his plans would have to be enacted a bit sooner than he hoped for.

"See, I'm super cool and really strong!" Sans had almost finished his snow skeleton. "I'll join the guard one day and be the best."

"Yeah, sure bro. You'll be the greatest."

The response came easily, a ruse tuned with incredible accuracy. He was Papyrus, the loving brother, ever calm and collected. Maybe at one point he'd actually been all that, but he couldn't focus on what if's now. Right now, all that mattered was that no one ruined his plans.

"So…" Uncertain how long Alphys would be watching, Papyrus carefully chose each word. "I heard there were some issues with training."

There was the look. The smaller skeleton's face seemed to crumble in despair for a moment before the smile was quickly plastered back on. Still, his eyes gave away Sans' emotions. The way they quivered as he fought back the tears was a clear sign.

If Papyrus wasn't worried about being watched, he'd make it abundantly clear just how weak Sans was at hiding anything. It was definitely going on the list of corrections needing to be made. Unfortunately, he'd have to train his brother on that later.

"It w-went okay." Sans was also a very poor liar. "I've just got to do better next time!"

"Alphys didn't give off the same impression."

"W-What'd she say? She hates me doesn't she? I bet she thinks I'm just too pathetic to be in the Royal Guard! Its pity isn't it? I'm a tiny monster as it is and I can't even properly fight! I'm just a burden for everyone!" Sans' snow skeleton was thoroughly squashed in his fit.

Oh, he really hoped Alphys was watching that. She'd be wracked with guilt to rival Undyne's. If not, well, his special addition wouldn't hurt.

"Shh. There there…" Papyrus hauled the sobbing skeleton out of the snow and gently rubbed his back. "I'm sure she loves having you around. When you're better, training will be much easier."

"Better?" Sans sniveled into his brother's hoodie.

"Yes, better." Papyrus gave his best patient and brotherly smile. "Don't think I haven't noticed. You haven't been feeling well recently. It's okay to have bad days."

"I-I…" His confusion was apparent as the small skeleton fumbled for words.

"Have you even been taking your medicine? You know how sick you get without it."

"M-Medicine?"

"Don't worry about it." Papyrus relished this control. "I'll make sure you don't forget it again. Honestly, what would you do without me?"

"I don't know." The sobbing continued. "I love you, Papy!"

"Love you too, bro."

A quick shortcut back to the house allowed Papyrus to snuff out the warm bubbling feeling he absolutely hated. It made him feel weak, vulnerable. Things he just wouldn't be, not anymore.

All of that was irrelevant. If he wanted every other monster to believe that Sans was sick, Sans would have to believe it too. There was only one way to do that.

"Let me get the medicine bag and then you're going straight to bed."

"O-Okay." Sans whimpered quietly as he scooted into the couch where he had been unceremoniously plunked.

The medicine bag wasn't difficult to find. It was always in an upper cupboard. Although, whether it really counted as a medicine bag was up for debate. It primarily consisted of an old tattered sack holding a random assortment of bandages and wraps. At the very bottom, a single pill bottle could be found.

The pills, a scarlet red, gave the tall skeleton an unholy sense of dread as he picked one out. Memories of the exact nature of the pills were fuzzy at best but Papyrus had played with Sans' life before. He knew these wouldn't kill the small skeleton. Given in the proper dosage, the worst side effects were a boiling fever and extremely vivid hallucinations. As long as Papyrus kept watch, there would be no real danger just discomfort.

"Well, take this." He held out both a singular pill and a large glass, filled to the brim, of water. "I'd like to check for any excessive injuries from training, okay?"

Eagerly slurping down the water, Sans barely nodded his head in agreement.

"Alrighty then." Carefully, Papyrus began pulling off his brother's shirt.

When Sans' ribs were fully exposed, Papyrus faked a horrified expression. A plan had immediately formed in his mind of just how to prevent pesky monsters from meddling in family affairs. This was going to be so much fun.

"Look what she did to you!" He could see the pills kicking in as Sans began to sweat. There was no stopping him now. "I've got to document this. If the Queen knew what Alphys was doing… It's just so horrible! Don't worry, brother, I'll fix you right up."

Quickly, he snapped a few pictures before cautiously getting to work. Gently scrubbing the bones brought back awful memories. They were so frail and the dust seemed to attach to everything. It was disgusting.

 _Dust. Dust was everywhere. Slowly, it was suffocating him. There was something else, a scarf. A beautiful blue scarf buried in a mound of dust. The dust mocked his failure. The scarf begged, pleaded for mercy._

No! That wasn't real. It wasn't going to happen, not again. He'd made sure of that.

"Sssooo h-hot." Sans shivered violently.

"I know, bro. I know." A wet cloth was swiftly procured and placed on the small skeleton's skull. "But Papy is here. I'll always take care of you."

Sans slurred something but Papyrus couldn't quite figure out what.

"Hey bro, how about a bed time story? It's one I'm certain you haven't heard in a while." Papyrus pondered the small, now visibly unwell skeleton, for a moment before beginning.

 _"There once was a warrior. So strong and proud was he that any who dared challenge him was given a chance. Time after time, he won their favor with wondrous abilities. None paralleled him on charm and he hardly had to pick up his sword. Everyone loved the warrior with all their being._

 _But one day, the warrior decided to leave his friends behind to search for true love. He travelled far and wide in search of the perfect lady. She needed to be loyal and caring, a compassionate soul who could see past his tricks. Yet, none met standards._

 _Time and time again, the warrior left town more disheartened than when he'd entered. While there were plenty of intelligent and caring ladies around, he couldn't see himself with any. They were all a bit too much, a bit too needy, a bit too arrogant, a bit too trusting._

 _When the warrior felt that all hope was lost, that he'd never get to share his love with anyone, he stumbled upon a single lady all dolled up in a rainbow of colors prancing happily in the woods. Normally, the warrior would see her as too much. Surely, he'd met the most innocent and joyful lady in the entire land! Yet, he quickly became enamored._

 _With as much grandeur as he could manage, the warrior introduced himself with a riddle._

 _"What pray tell my dear, is loved by all, inspires many, and is hated all the same?"_

 _"Silly you." The lady giggled. "It is obviously a rainbow."_

 _"A rainbow? That is ridiculous!"_

 _"No, we all love the rainbow's colors and it has inspired so many beautiful things."_

 _"Then, how is it hated?"_

 _"It always comes after rain. Those loving the showers curse its end and those hating them curse that a beautiful thing came from something unpleasant."_

 _The warrior was baffled by the lady's answer. He'd always thought it to be a mountain. The wonder of this woman only enamored him more._

 _Through a relentless battle of riddles and charm, the lady agreed to be his bride. There was just one incredible stipulation. He, and only he, would raise any children they had._

 _The warrior, appalled by this idea, questioned her motives intensely. She never gave a proper answer. Despite his misgivings, the warrior was unwilling to leave the lady and return to the search._

 _They were married and soon after a child was brought into their lives. Yet, the lady did not leave. After their first child was three, another was born. Still, the lady did not leave._

 _When their youngest became unusually ill, the warrior was forced to search for someone to help him. High and low he searched. Yet, all seemed to fail to help the child._

 _Eventually, the youngest died. The warrior and his wife were heartbroken, but their pain hardly rivalled their remaining child's. The child refused to believe that everything had been done._

 _Eager to protect their remaining child, the warrior and his wife summoned a magic man to insure the child's safety. But, the magic man was a clever and observant man. He saw the pain the child was in and knew there was nothing he could do. The child had been driven too far into insanity with the loss. The child was more of a threat to others than itself. Yet, the parents refused to listen to the magic man."_

Sans had fallen into a restless slumber.

 _"Eventually, the child forsook his family to seek revenge for their sibling's life. The warrior and his wife were left to grieve for two children."_

Comfortable that his brother wasn't going to be waking up any time soon, Papyrus wrapped him in a blanket and dropped him off on his bed. Papyrus still had work to do. Nothing and no one was going to stand in his way.

A message was swiftly typed out to Undyne with the pictures attached.

 **"We have to do something about Alphys! Did you see what she did to Sans during training today? Not only that, he stopped taking his medicine so she wouldn't pity him!"**

They were lies but they would surely get the ball rolling. It was only a matter of time before Alphys came at him, but this little trick would insure she wasn't going to have an easy time. Papyrus wasn't going to let all his hard work be thrown out by her.

* * *

 **Coolc341**

 **(I would be posting as myself, but I'm on mobile and I'm too lazy to log in .) First things first, yay, I still LOATHE Papyrus! :D Secondly, I just love how Undyne is unintentionally working against Sans. I really wish she would stop protecting Papyrus, though I do get where she's coming from. She dosen't know what Papyrus is actually like. I'm still mad at her though. -.- Thank gosh for Alphy, she's doing a great job fighting for our Sansy-pie. You go girl! Lovely work, can't wait for the next chapter!**

That's cool. (For the longest time I didn't favorite/follow any stories because I was too lazy to log in so there's that.) Yay! Loathing Papyrus is fun! I'm so glad you like Undyne's accidental alliance (that's what I'm calling it). Papyrus is definitely going to take advantage of that scientific mind by being a manipulative jerk. Yeah, Alphys is the true hero! I'm really glad that you are still enjoying the story. Thank you for reading!

 **Cakegirl21**

 **OK THATS IT PAPYRUS YOU NEED TO QUIT THE NICE GUY ACT IN FRONT OF YOUR FRIENDS SO THEY CAN SEE WHO YOU REALLY ARE! And don't worry blueberry! I will take great care of you and I don't care that I will probably miss school for this! I will keep you safe! RIGHT AFTER I GET RID OF YOUR EVIL BROTHER! Do you think I might have overreacted a little?**

Papyrus really should have been an actor. I bet he'd be a hit… (I have a horribly dark sense of humor.) Poor blueberry is really confused right now, especially with the ever fluctuating personality of Papyrus. Don't miss school, you're gonna need it to figure out how to trap and dispose of this sneaky skeleton! And no, I don't think you overreacted. Sans needs the support and by golly Papyrus is pretty evil. Thanks for reading!

 **KawiiChicken**

 **Papyrus,you're smart,but stupid.I hate that little honey lovin carrot chapter!**

Yep, Papyrus is a smart, stupid, evil. Hate away, he's earned it. I'm glad you seem to be enjoying the pain. Thanks for reading!

 **KillerChild67**

 **... OW...Fuck you Papyrus...Fuck you...Also I'm happy you enjoy your summer and when you mention Change I thought 'What are you talking about' when I decide to check out the story again and welp thanks a lot for reminding me about that (not). ALSO I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO SANS AFTER HE WOKE UP IN UNDERFELL (Change) tho you don't have to do that if you don't want too. Don't want to add more repondabiltes on your hands (Andokayimramblingnowandimgonnastop)**

(I shouldn't have but I laughed.) Oh boy, you are going to be so mad at him. Manipulation is definitely Papyrus' forte. Hope you're enjoying/enjoyed your summer as well! Sorry, didn't mean to confuse you. I'm not surprised you feel that way about Change. (I wrote it when I had a bit of writer's block for this story and Forever and a Day so it weirdly combined both.) I'm working on a second chapter for Change just so it doesn't leave you hanging too much! (I seriously love getting requests but I'm a bit slow at writing/editing so I don't know when it'll be done.) Don't worry about adding responsibilities. Even if I can't do something immediately, I'll just put it on the burner until I can! (I love writing so it doesn't bother me to have a stack of in progress stuff.) [dontworryaboutramblingeitheriwilldoittillidie] Thanks for reading!

 **Knights the hedgehog**

 **(pain)**

Yes, pain… There's so much more to come! Thanks for reading.

 **Boopie**

 **Oh Alphy...**

It's pretty difficult to catch someone who's two steps ahead of you. Thanks for reading.

 **D14M0NDHUNT3R**

 **I've never wanted to murder an alternate version of papyrus so badly SOMEONE GIVE THE FREAKIN CARROT WHAT HE DESERVES NGAAAAHHHH!**

Mwahahaha! Yes, let that anger grow. The carrot will get his punishment when the time comes! (And when that time is close, oh boy, that's going to be a crazy chapter!)Thanks for reading!

 _Here's a question for you all and it is very important: Which is worse, doing the right things for the wrong reasons or doing the wrong things for the right reasons?_

 _Please do not give or take medication for illnesses when someone or you is not sick. Do NOT take someone else's medication. That is very dangerous. Also, please do not act like Papyrus in real life._

 _Thank you all for reading and reviewing. This story now is tied for the most reviews I've had on a story and that is incredible! Thank you all so much!_

 _As a final side note, TortureTale is available for you guys to read. If you like sweet/childish Sans, pain, hidden messages, or slightly unusual AUs you should give it a try. It is rated M. Thank you._


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Chapter 9:

Alphys grumbled on her way to Snowdin. While she loved the idea of storming up to Papyrus and demanding he tell her everything he knew about Undyne's cameras and Sans, she knew it wouldn't do any good right now. Something was definitely amiss, but that didn't necessarily mean that Papyrus would have all the answers she needed. No matter what, she needed those answers.

With every monster she met, Alphys assaulted them with a barrage of questions.

"Was there anything suspicious you saw this morning?"

"Have any monsters been unusually injured recently?"

"Have any monsters been acting unusual, such as breaking patterns or being unnaturally aggressive?"

Their answers were all very similar. They hadn't seen anything odd. No one was injured that they knew about and everyone was acting just like their normal selves.

Finally, she asked the one question that she was certain would get some answers.

"What do you know about the skeleton brothers, Papyrus and Sans?"

The response was underwhelming. Most monsters cheerfully responded that they lived in Snowdin and seemed to be overall good monsters. A select handful pondered the skeletons for only a moment before admitting that they just were. No one really knew enough to be of any assistance.

With no additional information, Alphys had no other choice than to interrogate the skeletons. Maybe if she brought up the dust, Sans could explain it somehow. She wouldn't skirt around the issue.

There was the horrible possibility that Undyne was right. Could she have accidently hurt the skeleton? If she'd underestimated her strength, it was possible but the cameras seem too coincidental. It couldn't be a random fluke. Right?

It wouldn't do to just question herself. She'd find out soon enough. Without a second thought, Alphys burst into the skeleton's home. It was already late; they should have finished their rounds by now.

No one greeted Alphys when she entered. The house was overwhelmingly dark and dead silent. Cautiously, she looked around for something, anything, to understand the brothers.

The house appeared spotless. Everything had a place and was in it. Nothing appeared to signal a dangerous or depressed monster. It was puzzling.

"Don't you know it's rude to break into someone's home?" The voice drew Alphys' attention.

Standing at the top of the stairs, Papyrus glared down at her.

"I needed to talk to you and Sans." His presence seemed colder than before. "We need to get t-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there." The skeleton's voice became unsettlingly deep. "You aren't going anywhere near Sans, ever again."

"Look, I get that you're upset but we need to know what happened. Don't you want to make sure whoever hurt him doesn't do it again."

"I do." He growled. "That's why you need to leave. Now would be a good time."

"I'm not leaving until I get some answers! Sans knows what happened, he lived it. He just has to tell us!"

"No, you see, I figured that out rather quickly. It's awful nice of you to worry about his well-being after nearly dusting him."

"WHAT? YOU THINK I WOULD HURT HIM!"

The skeleton was suddenly much closer than Alphys was comfortable with.

"He was perfectly fine until he was training with you."

"I'm going to make him stronger!"

"No! You're making him weaker. He's sick because of you."

"He's sick?"

"Not like you actually care." Papyrus huffed.

"What's wrong? Did you call Undyne. I'm sure she'd be willing to help."

"What's wrong? He stopped taking his medicine, had a relapse, and then got beaten halfway to dust by you!" Papyrus roared. "So just, leave!"

"I didn't know he was sick or I'd have held off on the training. I guarantee you I didn't hurt him." Trying to calm the skeleton, Alphys smiled amicably. "Let me talk to him and he'll tell you that he didn't get hit much at all during training."

Papyrus wasn't backing down. He looked incredibly furious. Alphys could feel the tension in the air as the skeleton focused his rage. Unfortunately, it was all aimed at her.

"No. You don't seem to get it. He idolizes you. He just wants to impress you. He'd take whatever you can hand out with a smile on his face and never say a word." Papyrus was ready for battle. "So, I'm giving you one last chance. Leave before I make sure you never touch him again!"

"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

"Then prove it." He hissed.

"I can't, not specifically, but that doesn't mean I did anything!" Alphys really didn't want this to escalate. She still needed answers. "Undyne has a camera system set up. It was tampered with this morning. Maybe you were right about someone wanting to mess with the Guard! It's unfortunate that anyone got attacked but we have to handle this!"

Something was still very off. This Papyrus was acting so much different than he had before. Maybe it was due to the assumptions he'd made, but he wasn't acting like the same skeleton. Sans' mysterious illness and this rather concerning Papyrus gave Alphys an idea.

"Why don't we move you and Sans into Hotland for a bit? Undyne could tend to his illness until he gets better and we'd put you under the protection of the Guard. It would only be until he's better and whatever scum hurt him is captured."

"It doesn't do any good to be protected by the Royal Guard when you're the one in charge. He'll just get hurt again."

"No, I didn't do anything. I swear he wasn't hit hard enough to do serious damage. He'll be much safer."

"No. We're staying here." The skeleton's face twisted into an unrecognizable expression. "No matter what it takes, I will protect my brother!"

"C-Can this fight w-wait until I've looked at Sans?" Alphys and Papyrus swung around to see a noticeably disheveled and anxious Undyne standing in the doorway. "T-those injuries l-looked really b-bad in the pictures, so I hurried."

Pushing Alphys out of the way, Papyrus motioned back up the stairs. "He's in his room, sleeping."

"O-Okay. You t-two should probably go ccc-cool off, ww-without killing each other. A quiet space c-can be beneficial for resting."

"Gotcha." Papyrus seemed to calm down instantly but refused to leave. Instead, he flopped across the couch. "Thanks. I'll be here when you're done."

"N-No problem!" Undyne disappeared into the room.

After a moment of consideration, Alphys sat on the floor. Until she had everything figured out, she was sticking around. At the very least, she'd be able to learn just how injured Sans was.

* * *

 **BadDRUMMERboy15**

 **Why do I get the odd feeling papyrus has witnessed a geno run before? If so... I wonder if he is trying to toughen sans up... UGH IDK WHAT TO BELIEVE ANYMORE**

It was probably the dust and scarf imagery. Believe whatever you want. It's okay to change as time goes on. Thanks for reading!

 **Cakegirl21**

 **OH. MY. GOD. Papyrus... how could you do this?! Manipulating your friends into thinking blueberry is sick?! Papyrus, if you do anything thing else to blueberry... E.**

There's quite a bit of manipulation going on. Luckily for Sans, there's quite a few people (and monsters) looking out for him. Thanks for reading!

 **KillerChild67**

 **Hmm...Wrong things for the right reasons...I mean yeah that might hurt a lot of people BUT you ARE doing it for a good reason even if people may not believe you while doing right things for a wrong reason...WEL e...and I don't I just...EITHER WAY Papyrus..Papyrus..If you DO remember a genocide run...I could kinda see why you are doing this BUT if you aren't...You sorry ass bastard...Once I somehow find away into this story Well REMEMBER MY WARNING ON WHAT I MIGHT DO OR IT COULD BE A LOT WORSE –**

Thanks for considering the question. Don't worry, Papyrus has actual motives behind his actions. It would be pretty interesting if you found your way into this story. I wonder just how much good could be achieved by some unusual exterior sources. Thanks for reading!

 **KawiiChicken**

 **Wait...Does that mean normal UT Sans does this to papy?I know it's not canon,but in your world,is it?And also nice chapter**

Given the exact circumstances transpiring in Undertale as in this story, yes UT Sans would possibly act similar. I say possibly because there are simply way too many potential courses of action to take with the same reasoning and causes. I realize that's a bit of a half answer but I think it'll make more sense a little bit later in the story. Thank you for reading and the compliment!

 **TrueAshley**

 **I think hurting someone even though it is right, is not right. I understand Pappy doesn't want Sans to die again, but doing this to him is worse than killing him. He should know no matter what Sans goes through he would never kill. I guess he just wants to toughen Sans up enough for him not to die to Chara, since it's underswap, well in that case Frisk? Ahh whatever you know what I mean. But it's still bad. I hope alphys' and Undyne's relationship won't get rocky. But it probably will. Guess time will tell! I love the story though! I'm just usually too shy to comment something. But I thought, 'why the heck not'. I mean your story was too good not to comment on! I really enjoyed it! Well have a nice day!**

Thanks for answering the question! While I'm not certain if this is entirely worse than killing him (at least there's a chance for something better as long as he's alive), I get what you're saying. Papyrus should know Sans well enough to know how kind his brother is. Killing has never truly been an option. Because it's Underswap, I'm pretty certain the more genocidal variant is supposed to be Frisk. (I could be totally wrong because I think Flowey is swapped with a Tem and that may not be true.) The actual human component of this story will be coming really soon! Alphys and Undyne will have to figure things out. They're both intelligent monsters who are very capable so things probably won't get too awful. I'm really glad you're enjoying my story and really appreciate you deciding to comment. You don't have to do so if you're too nervous or shy. You've done it once and if you don't feel comfortable to do so again, that's okay. Thank you for the compliment and reading. Have a nice week!

 **Knights the hedgehog**

 **WHELP...(singing)ima murder papyrus!~ ima murder papyrus!**

If that's what you want to do… You might just regret his death later. Thanks for reading!

 **MrGohan**

 **"Things he just wouldent be, not anymore"**

 **...ANYMORE?!**

Yep, anymore. Papyrus can't go back to what he was. There are too many repercussions now. Thanks for reading.

 **Doopie**

 **Awa, Does Undyne have cameras in the houses?**

Nope, Undyne doesn't have cameras installed inside people's homes. While her camera system is extensive, that'd be an incredible invasion of privacy. Thanks for reading.

 **ddani121212**

 **Ok. Sorry for not reviewing on Ch.7, I read chapters 7 and 8 on the same day. Anyway I'm now really worried for the sake of Sans and Alphys. Undyne was easily fooled by Papyrus's trick and now Alphys is not just against the two smartest people in the underground, but her crush too. And then poor Sans is falling for it too. WHY IS THE WORLD SO CRUEL?! But I believe true heros always come out on top. Alphys is going to save Sans, I can feel it in my BONES! (*w*)**

No need to apologize. Reviews are really nice but not expected. For now, Sans and Alphys are about as safe as they can get, all things considered. Alphys is intelligent as well so she may not be at as great of a disadvantage as she seems. Plus, there are certain things which cannot hide forever. Sans is definitely in pretty deep. No matter what happens, he cares about Papyrus. That may be his greatest weakness. Alphys is so close but real evidence is necessary. Thanks for reading!

 _I have another question for you. (I plan on asking one with each chapter.) Is the only difference between the hero and the villain whose beliefs you agree with?_

 _Thank you all again for reading and reviewing this story!_


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Chapter 10

Nervously, Undyne entered the room. She knew she was being a bit more imposing than she normally was. She had simply walked into the skeleton brothers' home and taken charge. Papyrus hadn't even asked for her help. He'd specifically said he would handle it, but those pictures looked really bad. She simply had to do something! It was the least she could do for all the times Papyrus had helped her out.

Undyne wasn't certain what exactly she expected when approaching Sans, but this definitely was not it. The small skeleton was entirely soaked. His clothing and sheets clung tightly to his body. Although he appeared to be sleeping, every inch of his frame shook violently. It struck Undyne as a disturbingly dangerous predicament to be in considering the small look she'd already seen of his bones. Sans could be close to falling.

"Ss-Sans, I need to examine you." Gently, she began freeing the skeleton from the sheets. "It'd be b-best if you were awake."

Sans whimpered at the loss of the sheet but did not wake up.

"I'm going to remove your shirt. Alright?" Nudging the skeleton got no response, but she still had to respect his rights as a monster. "If you get uncomfortable, I c-can always stop."

If Sans really was close to falling, she didn't have time to waste. Gingerly rolling the fabric up, Undyne's hands shook. She dreaded seeing the extent of the damage and focused on removing the fabric. Finally, it was gone leaving Undyne to face the problem directly.

Saying the injuries were substantial seemed like an understatement to the scientist. His rib cage, or what was left of it, was a sight to behold. Not a single rib was the same length. They all shared a sickly grey white coloration. She may not have had much experience around skeleton monsters, but she knew this wasn't how they were supposed to look.

The slow trickle of dust on the otherwise, relatively, clean bones told her they'd been cleaned recently. At least that would help identify the areas which were the most damaged. Still, the bones were all damaged. She had plenty of work to do just to begin repairing the damage.

There was the problem of where to even begin. The bones were mainly clean so she could wrap them to help prevent any form of infection but that wouldn't replace broken ribs or stop the dusting. Normally, food would heal a monster enough for minor dusting from injuries to cease. She'd have to find something hearty, but it still couldn't replace bones. Maybe with the help of another monster's magic similar to the skeleton's, the remaining bones could be reinforced. There wasn't any hope for those which were already missing.

The poor skeleton's continual sweating and shaking only gave Undyne more questions. Was this monster really so fragile that a spar with Alphys had left him in this condition? How could Alphys have not seen that before agreeing to train him? Papyrus had mentioned Sans needing some special medication that he thought Alphys wouldn't approve of. That was a point of concern. What kind of illness did this skeleton suffer from? She'd need to know the details to differentiate between normal symptoms and anything unusual.

Bandages and a soft rag were laying near the small skeleton. No doubt if his illness caused occasional dusting, he'd healed himself many times before in the comfort of his own room. Snatching them, she tried to settle her still shaking hands. Sans needed her.

Slowly, she reached for the snapped end of one of the bones. It felt so thin, so frail, in her hands, yet it also felt odd. The texture didn't seem quite right. Lightly rubbing the dust away, Undyne discovered why.

The bones she'd thought were clean were covered with an ever increasing layer of dust, but underneath was just as horrific. There were numbers. Etched into the bones were strings of ones and zeros. Some went deeper than others. Quickly, Undyne brushed the dust from the other bones.

Recoiling, the scientist shuddered. This wasn't okay. Sans was not okay! Undyne's eyes danced between each bone desperately trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

The bones all had strings of ones and zeros covering them. Additionally, each bone showed signs of being at the very least fractured on multiple occasions. They had healed but were obviously weakened as a result. Then there was the dust. What had appeared to be a slow trickle was in fact the least of the problems at hand; each bone was slowly covered in a layer of dust again after she'd cleaned it off.

There was no way she could heal him. Coupling the dusting with the searing heat she'd felt when handling his bones, Sans had a serious illness. Undyne couldn't remember ever working with a monster with similar issues but she would do her best. She couldn't do it here, not without a sterile environment and proper equipment. The small skeleton obviously needed to have extensive assistance and the best way would be to start with stabilizing his body. The heat needed to lesson and his bones needed to be reinforced as soon as possible.

Questions quickly piled up for the scientist. Even including an illness, there was no reasonable explanation for the carvings. Sure, an illness would make the skeleton weaker. That explained the dusting and forgoing necessary medication abruptly could cause side effects like high fevers. The idea of Sans deliberately cutting into his own bones was dismissed due to the exact nature of each mark. It would be difficult, bordering on impossible, to carve into oneself with such consistency and depth and not have fallen down. Someone would have to be nearby to heal the wounds, at least partially, almost immediately. It just didn't make sense.

Who would watch the skeleton hurt himself like that and not stop him? They'd have to be around at all times to be able to heal the wounds. They wouldn't have been able to fully heal the marks to leave no marks but these looked like they'd only been healed as minimally as possible. What kind of monster would see that suffering and not try and get help?

A quiet voice broke Undyne from her thoughts.

"P-Papy?" Sans was awake.

"No, it's Undyne." She was surprised at the calm firmness in her voice it didn't reflect her current emotions at all. "I was just looking you over. Can you tell me what happened today?"

"Papy!" The small skeleton didn't seem to hear her as he whimpered on. "I'm ss-so sorry, Papy. It h-hurts. Papy! It hurts so much. Ww-why won't it stop?"

 _Elsewhere in the Underground, a creature plastered a smile on its face ready to greet their friend._

 _"Hoi, I'm Temmie da Tem!"_

 _"Shut it flea bag." The human growled. "We both know what's going on. Just don't get in my way this time."_

* * *

 **D14M0NDHUNT3R**

 **(Answering your question) The villain is normally the one I don't agree with, yes. But that doesn't nessecarily mean they're evil. Most villains are doing what they think is right.**

Your analysis of the villain being the one you disagree with but that they are not inherently evil is interesting. I tend to agree that villains have their own motives that encourage their behaviors. Thank you for reading and answering the question!

 **KawiiChicken**

 **Wait,I feel like papy is somehow gonna make up for his... ... Also I almost forgot that there was an update!Nice chapter!**

Well, no matter what Papy is Sans' brother. Whether his future actions make up for his previous ones is based entirely on perspective. I suppose we shall see. Thanks for the compliment and for reading!

 **RoyaisAwesome**

 **won't undyne see the carvings?**

Yes, indeed she will but it'll take a little bit more for her to piece it together. Thanks for reading!

 **xXSayomiKimitsukiXx**

 **Occulttale!Sans: Us!Paps needs to have a bad time. *magic glows ominously* His behavior is as Fresh would say, un-rad."**

There will be plenty of bad times to be had. Don't worry there will be plenty of 'un-rad' behavior coming up. Thanks for reading!

 **Cakegirl21**

 **Undyne, you NEED to fix this. Examine Sans, and figure out what happened and how. Us as the readers and writer actually know what happened to Sans, but the characters don't. We need to find a way to break the fourth wall so that we can tell Alphys and Undyne what's really going on!**

We're getting there. Undyne is definitely more suspicious of everything right now but she's also incredibly concerned about the stability of Sans' health. Thanks for reading!

 **KillerChild67**

 **...The only difference between the hero and the villain is beliefs...I actually don't know about this...'-'.Uhh...Well I think the only difference between both are the motives and thoughts...Ok maybe sometimes the beliefs but...I really DON'T know how to answer this...AND YAY ALPHYS GETS TO STICK AROUND UNTIL SHE GETS EVERYTHING FIGURED OUT...wait..waitwaitwait...Fuck Papyrus is so screw if Alphys even finds/sees/get close to Sans...Uhh um.. What will happen if Sans even takes off his gloves IN front of Alphys? AND PAPYRUS PROBALLY MADE THE BIGGEST MISTAKE SO FAR BECAUSE THERE IS A CHANCE THAT UNDYNE CAN SEE SANS INJURIES WHICH IS PROBALLY A NONONO AND A YESYESYES**

It's okay not to know what your answer is. Thanks for thinking about it! Papyrus might have underestimated Undyne's possible reaction to those images. She was bound to want to do immediate investigation before making too many assumptions; she is a scientist after all. Alphys and Undyne are really going to have to put their heads together to fix this mess. They don't know about his hand carvings yet, but that is going to be an interesting reaction from all monsters involved. It likely won't be pleasant for Papyrus… Thanks for reading!

 **Zanza Flux**

 **I'm really enjoying your story. Paps is very manipulative. I feel bad for Blue. He loves his brother but he's also scared to death of him. Alphys just wants to help him, but she's not very subtle in her actions and Paps sees her coming a mile away.**

 **To answer your question, I think that's part of it. I think a person's point of view is another. Take for example a king running a kingdom. The king knows he needs money to keep the kingdom running smoothly so the easiest way to get that is to tax the citizens. He has good intentions. To the average citizen that doesn't know how a kingdom is run, it looks like the king is just taking their money to fuel his lavish lifestyle. In their eyes, the king is the villian. All because the king doesn't tell the citizens where their money goes. The citizens can't see the big picture because they don't have all the facts.**

I'm really glad you're enjoying this. You've nailed an accurate summary of the character really well. It's important to remember that Sans very much still loves his brother no matter what Papyrus has done. Papyrus is a smart one. He may not have foreseen Undyne's presence so quickly but he knows how to deal with some problems as they arise. Thank you for answering the question. I found your response to be really well thought out. Point of view definitely plays a role in determining the villain. I really like your analogy with the king and his kingdom. Thanks for reading!

 **IAmBehindYou123**

 **Followed since it first came out, still really curious with the whole thing. Papyrus is an interesting one, that's for sure. I'm really sad Sans is really afraid to speak out, but I'm hoping he'll reveal the truth soon. Good chapter!**

Soon, my dear, soon things will be revealed. I'm glad you've followed since the beginning and still are interested in the story. There's more to Papyrus that hasn't been covered so look out for that. Thanks for reading, following, and the lovely compliment!

 **Loopie**

 **Poor Sansy, and poor Alphy she only wantsta help**

She's going to have her hands full of things to help with coming up. It'll then be a matter of what is the most important event to handle first. Thanks for reading!

 **Smashgunner**

 **...YO BLUEBERRY! GOT SOMETHING FOR YA! EVERY HEARD OF AN X POTION? *chucks X-potion at sans***

 **Now on to slightly more important matters...**

 **HEY PAPYRUS!**

 **"what."**

 **Ever heard of lasers?**

 **"Yes"**

 **Ever heard of plasma**

 **"Yes"**

 **Ever hear of a laser made of plasma?**

 **"Ye-wait what?"**

 **Ever hear of a Kamehameha?**

 **"No"**

 **Wanna see one?**

 **"No"**

 **TOO FUCKING BAD**

 **KAAAAAEEEEEEHAAAAAAMEEEEE**

 **"I am uncomfortable with this..." *Sees light forming* "HOLY SH-"**

 **HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!**

 **Papyrus status: ded.**

 **My status: in disbelief I typed this.**

Hate to break it to you but there's more than standard HP damage going on. Sans is going to need a lot of help. You guys seem to really want Papyrus dead. Be careful what you wish for. Thanks for reading!

 _If you could restart your life, would you?_

 _Again, thank you all so much for reading. Have a wonderful week!_


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Chapter 11:

Minutes ticked by slowly for Papyrus. Every second Undyne was with Sans greatly increased the risk. If she gave him the wrong medication, well, he didn't want to think of those end results.

Undyne was an intelligent monster. She wouldn't accidently ruin Sans' life, not like she'd done the others. Sure that problem had been resolved but only because Papyrus made a little arrangement with a certain one of Undyne's previous mistakes.

This was wrong. Undyne wasn't supposed to come. She was normally too busy being an anxious mess to actually do anything. Even when he's specifically asked for help before, she'd never done anything. She'd abandoned Sans before. They all had. He knew how little they cared. He knew the truth that they'd never be willing to face.

 _The human had left Sans behind. They sentenced him to die in the snow thinking no one cared. Papyrus was too late, again. The human didn't always follow a pattern. Sometimes Papyrus found the smaller skeleton's dust spread across their own home. At other times, they looped back around just to bring dust when Papyrus finally had a hint of hope. Sans always died._

 _This time was supposed to be different. He'd given Sans just enough to let him stay together for a few minutes extra. His sweet brother didn't even respond when Papyrus called for him. He couldn't move with the extent of damage inflicted by the human, but he was still there. That's all the mattered._

 _"UNDYNE! Please do something." Papyrus couldn't help screaming as he appeared in the lab._

 _Undyne didn't look away from the screen focused on Alphys."Oh, P-Papyrus, what's wrong?"_

 _"It's Sans. He needs help right NOW."_

 _"G-Give me a minute. Alphys is facing the hh-human."_

 _It was too late. Papyrus could feel Sans crumbling in his arms. He would be gone soon._

 _"No, Sans. Please just hold on a little bit longer. Okay?" Papyrus failed to suppress his sobs. "You know you're the best bro ever, right? I love you so please, please hold on."_

 _He'd failed again. Clinging to the dust covered clothes, Papyrus looked up only for a moment when he heard Undyne cheer. Alphys had been spared._

Wiping his eye sockets, Papyrus forced down the pesky memories. It wouldn't do any good to obsess over past failures. Undyne was in there right now with Sans. She was actually doing something the one time she wasn't asked.

He didn't want her help. Why couldn't Sans and him live peacefully without everyone else unknowingly endangering the smaller skeleton? Sans needed to be protected. No matter what, he was the best thing in the entire Underground. That's all he wanted.

Alphys' voice tore Papyrus from his thoughts. "Hey, he's going to be fine."

He didn't respond. He knew Sans would be fine, as long as Undyne didn't mess up. Sans was strong, stronger than he'd ever been.

"Undyne know what she's doing." Concern was clearly painted on her face. "We'll get to the bottom of this."

"Yeah." Papyrus hated this.

Each timeline was bad enough without the memories. They were always so vivid for things which had been undone. It didn't matter. He'd made his decision. Somehow, he was going to ensure this timeline was different. He wasn't going to watch everything like he'd done at the beginning. Things were going to keep changing. It was pointless to stick to a predictable pattern.

"P-Papyrus?" Undyne was at the top of the stairs. "Ss-Sans really n-needs you. He's not responding to me."

Salvaging what little strength he had left, Papyrus arrived in his brother's room. At least Undyne knew to stop and call him in this time around. He knew Sans better than anyone else. He knew exactly how much the smaller skeleton could take.

Sans always looked so tiny sprawled across the bed. Without the sheets and his shirt, he didn't have his normal chubby appearance. Sans was simply a small skeleton suffering.

"Papy?" The dazed and soaked skeleton's whimpers stopped his brother in his tracks. "Papy!"

He'd made a mistake. Sans shouldn't be shaking so much. He hadn't when he'd given it to him before. Had he given him too much?

Focusing, Papyrus approached the bed. It didn't matter. He could take care of Sans. If he'd messed up, he could fix it.

There was no chance of Undyne leaving them alone with Sans like this. He could use that. It was a small tweak to his plan but it could work. This had to end.

"Shh… I'm right here." Grasping the small skeleton's hand, Papyrus observed the other's state more carefully.

The shaking was likely a result of a fever much greater than he'd anticipated. It wouldn't be an issue once the fever was reduced but it was still concerning. Anything outside of the ordinary vastly increased the dangers associated with the pills. Sans must have had some left in his system that Papyrus had forgotten about. It was an unfortunate development but it could be worked around.

Despite Sans speaking, he didn't appear to actually be aware of his surroundings. It was entirely possible that the small skeleton didn't even know that he was speaking. On the positive side, Sans wasn't dealing with the hallucinations yet. Those were particularly terrible to deal with and often resulted in the need to restrain him.

"Sorry, I dd-don't know what's w-wrong with him." Undyne prevented Papyrus from dwelling on those thoughts. "W-Without knowing ww-what his condition is I can't safely treat him."

"It's fine. I'd rather you be careful with him than just jump in." Offering a sad smile, the touch of concern in his voice was genuine this time. "Sans' illness is a bit unique. Only a handful of monsters have ever had it, but his medicine normally keeps it under control."

Motioning to the small skeleton, Undyne pressed for more. "Is this what that medicine treats?"

Papyrus simply nodded. It'd do no good to fabricate symptoms when some were clearly visible.

"Okay, ww-well what do you do if he has an episode on his medicine?"

"Wait the fever out."

"We can't wait! Fevers like this are dangerous and that doesn't even include his other injuries!"

"What do you have in mind?"

Anxiously, Papyrus waited for Undyne to continue. She had to come up a solution to get him the time he needed. It was imperative that she choice it instead of him.

Finally, she spoke. "His fever has to be stabilized. His bones are exhibiting a dusting symptom and are quite frail. I need to take him to the lab."

In shock, Papyrus sputtered. "Dusting?"

That couldn't be right. How could Sans be dusting? He'd been so careful to check Sans frequently. Somehow, he'd missed something. Lightly touching his brother's exposed ribs, Papyrus knew the truth.

"Let's go then." With ease, he scooped the small skeleton from his bed and grabbed the scientist's arm. "You better know what you're doing Undyne."

Before she could respond, they were at the lab.

* * *

 **Nova2711**

 **Papyrus had best better die at some point. now would be nice**

Patience. Papyrus is going to die but not yet. Thanks for reading!

 **KillerChild67**

 **HELL YES I WOULD RESTART MY LIFE IF I COULD**

 **...Papyrus get ready CHARA is coming...JUST IN TIME CHARA YALL LITTLE SHIT GET READY TO SEE SOMETHING NEW MAH CHILD ...WELP PAPYRUS YOUR GONNA BE DEAD IN THE NEXT 96 HOURS IF MY GUESSES ARE CORRECT...IS THE DRAMA COMING SOON ((DONOTJUDGEMEIBEENTPYINGINCAPSFORTHEPASTFEWDAYOKAY))(ILOVECAPSNOW)**

 ***TEMTEM I GONNA MURDER YOU YALL LITTLE SHIT...also I dont blame Papy anymore KEEP DOING WHAT YOUR DOING RIGHT NOW K**

You seem really excited using all caps. Yes, the human is coming however you're off on when Papyrus is going to be dead. (He will die as I've confirmed.) There are still things for you to learn about him first! You don't blame Papy at all anymore? That's a bit surprising. Thanks for reading!

 **SarahHuchiga**

 **Just finished catching up. Holy crap da feels here. I can't decide if I want to hurt Papy, or if I want to lock him away. I think I really need to know his motives for how he could be hurting the poor and innocent Blueberry. None of it makes sense to me. Oh well. I know you'll reveal them in due time. Good job writing this. Keep up the good work.**

Locking away a skeleton with the ability to shortcut would be difficult… Hopefully, this chapter should help with understanding him a bit more. A lot has happened prior to this timeline for Papy to be like this so it'll take a little bit of time to explain. Thank you for the compliment and for reading!

 **kitty123435**

 **Can't wait for the next chapter! I haven't commented but this fanfic has a great idea to it, and coupled with your good righting skills and perspective it's turning out marvellously! Especially with how you're treating/writing the characters emotions. All I wanted to say was good job!**

 **And the question, yes, I would. I'm not upset with where my life is right now but I feel like if I could have a redo, I could make things better for those around me and myself.**

I'm glad you seem to enjoy my story! Character emotions can be tricky to properly explain so I'm pleased that you think I've done a good job so far. Thank you. Making things better for those around you and yourself seems like a really good reason for a redo. Thanks for the compliment and reading!

 **Dreemurr**

 **Hi this is TheRandomDreeMurr but I forgot my damn password -_- I can't get enough of this! You are amazing at making fanfiction and I hope that when I start making my own that I'll be just as good as you some day :)**

Maybe a password journal (for accounts not using a lot of personal information) would help? I'm so happy that you enjoy this. When you start making your own fanfiction, I'm certain you'll do well. Just keep writing the stories you want and with practice you'll do splendidly. Thanks for reading and the lovely compliment!

 **Smashgunner**

 **If I could restart my life it would be on one condition. I remember everything. Only once of course. I could stop my DOGGO FROM BEING DED. Worth it.**

That condition is key. If you didn't remember everything, well, this life could be like your fourth or fifth and you could always make the same mistakes. I'm sorry about your dog though. Thanks for reading.

 **KawiiChicken**

 **If I would restart my life...Maybe?No?Idk that's a hard this chapter is nice.( :**

It's okay not to know. Thanks for the compliment and reading!

 **RoyaisAwesome**

 **The human knows that this isn't the first time they've been through this. Does that mean Papyrus has done this to Sans before?**

Sorta but I'll clarify. Papyrus has done a multitude of different things to attempt to achieve his desired end results. All previous actions have failed so he's become progressively more _active_ in changing up the routine. Prior timelines varied in just how far Papyrus would go. I hope that helps. Thanks for reading!

 **BadDRUMMERboy15**

 **"Be careful what you wish for"**

 **Rip papyrus, death by future genocide run**

Yep, yep, yep. Papyrus is going to die. Thanks for reading!

 **Cakegirl21**

 **Until I got the notification, I completely forgot about this story! It is so amazing! But the bad thing is that Frisk (Chara in US!) is now here and they will kill everyone now!**

I'm so glad you like this story! Frisk is definitely going to be a deadly issue to tackle. Thanks for the compliment and reading!

 _This week's question isn't really going to force too much thinking but I'm curious. Would you rather two shorter chapters (approximately 500 words) a week or one longer chapter (1000 plus words) a week of this story? With shorter chapters there would be a similar amount of total content weekly it would just be broken up so you'd receive it more frequently. I don't know how well I could make that change but I would like to know which is preferred._

 _As always, thank you all for reading!_


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Chapter 12:

Taking a moment to process just how quickly they'd traveled, Undyne took a deep breathe. This was her domain. She ran the labs. It was her duty to assist monsters in need and that meant Sans. She needed to be objective and observant as panicking would only get in her way.

"I need to know about his illness." Her voice barely quivered. "You can't hide any information from me if I'm going to help him. So, we're going to start with the basics. What exactly is part of his illness and what is the specific medication he was prescribed."

"You see the symptoms. " Shrugging, Papyrus produced a small bottle of pills from his hoodie. "These are his meds."

Taking the bottle, Undyne tried to ignore just how unhelpful the skeleton was being. Seeing symptoms wasn't the same as having them described. All she'd seen was the extreme fever and normal side effects of having that. When she'd mentioned dusting, he seemed surprised but he still wasn't giving her enough to nail down a diagnosis. It was entirely possible that the dusting was a symptom that Sans had hidden from his brother, especially if the small skeleton was concerned that taking medicine would make others think less of him.

The bottle wasn't giving her much either. The pills were an unusual color but that didn't help in narrowing down what they actually were. There wasn't a distinguishable name on the label to identify where it had been obtained, the doctor who had prescribed them, or even what was contained within the pills.

"The doctor Sans goes to, is there a way to contact them? A complete medical history would be useful."

"Haven't seen the doc in a while. I doubt you'd get ahold of him."

"Where do you meet him? I could send Alphys to collect the files."

"Dunno. As I said, haven't seen him in a while."

"How can Sans be on medicine and not see a doctor frequently?"

"Are you going to help him or what?" Papyrus snapped, evading the question for now.

The idea seemed ridiculous. Anyone with a serious illness would carefully monitor their condition and get checked frequently. Medication might need changing over time if it didn't provide desired results. The sheer quantity of variable involved with treating monsters with chronic illnesses practically tied those monsters to their physicians!

"How long has he been taking these pills?"

"For as long as I can remember."

"Then you must have gotten refills. How do you get those?"

"Never ran out."

"HOW DO YOU… Never mind." Coaxing herself to retain her composure, Undyne focused. Sans needed help. Even if he did have an, aggravatingly, unhelpful brother, she had to start somewhere. "Okay, I think we'll start with a lukewarm bath."

"You think?" Scoffing, Papyrus glared at the scientist.

Scurrying around, Undyne was blissfully unaware of Papyrus' glare. There was simply too much to focus on other than the tall skeleton. Treating the fever was of utmost importance right now.

Baths were typically relaxing and could potentially help with fevers. The water couldn't be too warm or it wouldn't help at all. On the other hand, the water being too cold could cause a whole different set of problems.

The problem with fevers, at least with most monsters, was that it typically pointed to some underlying issue. Unfortunately, simple issues like a cold were ruled out due to the apparent consistency of the condition. Foreign magic, some sort of parasitic entity, or various immune disorders could all be dangerous causes. Papyrus had already known that something was wrong, but it'd be best to actually find the root of the issues. Perhaps, more research had been done into the illness since Sans had last received treatment. Undyne had more questions than answers right now.

Why had they never gone back to a doctor for at least an annual exam? Who had been the one treating Sans in the first place? What even was the illness Sans had?

Papyrus had those answers. That was abundantly clear. She just had to get him to open up.

"Papyrus?"

"Yep, still here."

"You know I owe you a lot. I'm just trying to help Sans."

"Yeah, well, I could have handled it."

"Instead of taking everything on yourself, help me help your brother." Undyne truly needed his help for this. "Can you please do that?"

"Yeah, whatcha need?"

"If you'd finish unclothing him while the water gets closer to room temperature, that'd be a great start."

Silently, the tall skeleton undressed Sans. There wasn't much clothing to remove, but Undyne chose to focus on the water instead of rushing Papyrus. After a few minutes of silence, the smaller skeleton was gently placed into the water.

Sans was still wearing his gloves.

Lightly tugging the unnecessary accessory off, Undyne caught sight of something unexpected. The bones were covered in meticulously detailed images and scenes. Her hand shook slightly as she inspected the marks on the small one's hands. Seeing them didn't feel right.

"What are these?"

"Hands."

"No, Papyrus! I meant these engravings. What are these?"

"Oh, those. They're some body art. You know, like a tattoo on fleshier beings."

"You mean to tell me Sans had both of his hands covered in art and then always hid it?" Disbelief seeped its way into Undyne's voice. "That makes no sense whatsoever!"

"It wasn't for everyone else. It was for Sans. Anyways, I've got to go handle something. Take care of him, would 'ya?"

The fine details carved into bone were both horrifying and beautiful. In a strange way, the images seemed familiar to Undyne. It was as if they were events long forgotten. Despite the incredible skill needed to implement the intricate designs, she could not let herself see it as art. They were no doubt painful to receive and they seemed to her too similar to the mutilation of the skeleton's ribs.

Turning to confront Papyrus on the distinct similarities, Undyne was stunned silent. The skeleton wasn't there. Papyrus, the only brother in the entire underground who could stake claim to the title 'Most Protective Sibling', had simply left Sans with her to run some errands. Undyne wasn't certain if she should be honored that he trusted her so much or angry that he'd actually leave. Settling on perplexed, the scientist quietly bathed the small skeleton now fully in her care. Something was seriously amiss right now, but she'd figure it out.

* * *

It was just another monster, another pile of dust. There wasn't anything special here. Things never changed. It was just another 'Dad' in another home that wasn't really theirs. It was just another beginning.

The human marched on, humming a familiar tune. At first glance, they looked so nice, peaceful even, but as they went down the stairs Temmie knew. It was just another death, a trivial thing for the human. It was play time.

* * *

 **kitty123435**

 **It is definitely hard writing different characters! But you really have done a good job**

 **And I guess if I could choose, I'd rather a longer chapter each week!**

Thank you! I do my best. For the chapter length, you guys are getting to choose. There was an incredible agreement on which updates to do so that's what I'll be doing. Thanks for reading!

 **RoyaisAwesome**

 **Paps u messed up an let Sans start dusting... U dead son. And if Undyne is supposed to be the "Alphys" in this AU, isn't she supposed to be smart? When I say that I mean shouldn't she realize that the symptoms Sans is experiencing is from that pill (I forget what was in it. Determination?) that Paps gave him?**

So, this gets into some weird stuff. (Not you but the review brings up certain things that I've danced around.) Undyne is the "Alphys" in this AU but that doesn't make her a medical genius. Alphys in Undertale seems to have better luck with electronics and engineering than preventing monsters from dusting. (Alphys' being successful on a technicality doesn't mean it produced desired results.) So while the scientist is actually intelligent, she has a specialty. Undyne does have the intelligence and capability to piece together the puzzle but it takes a little bit longer than it might if she was fixing a machine instead. Of course this is more of a head canon applied to this story than anything else. (It seems like a nice way to have the original Alphys balanced as a character. Even if you are incredibly smart, you won't be perfect at everything. That's a bit of a blow to most people accustomed to being the smartest but it is a realistic idea.) This brings us to the pill. Undyne didn't see Sans take the pill and was told that the symptoms were part of Sans 'illness'. Any decisions made on those inaccurate assumptions would be dangerous. Due to Undyne being a scientist, she's trained to view things logically and to verify all information prior to taking drastic actions. Also, I don't think I've actually specified what is in that pill yet. That'll be important and exposed later. Thanks for reading! (Also, I hope this doesn't come across with me being upset or ranting or anything. I'm just trying to explain so I hope that helps.)

 **Knights the hedgehog**

 **waswrrrrgggghhhhhhh, I can't decide to pity papyrus or punch him...on one hand he's going crazy, on the other...he thinks he's doing the right thing?**

I'm not making it any easier, am I? Well, whenever you decide whether to punch or pity Papyrus, I'd like to know. Yes, Papyrus does think he's doing the right thing. Thanks for reading.

 **ddani121212**

 **It's been a while. Curse u school for taking away my fanfiction reading time. Anyway, I think one long chapter a week would be best. It might just be me but I don't think I could keep up with 2 chapters a week, even if it's short. Everytime I get home from school, I pass out from work and practice (I run track).**

That's a really good reason for one chapter a week. Thanks for answering and best of luck with school and track. Thanks for reading!

 **The Ashen Lord**

 **Things are starting to fall into place now, but not all the puzzle pieces are here yet. Good chapter here TC and I look forward to seeing what will happen when the human doesn't encounter Sans or Papyrus in the beginning. Yes... things are definitely coming together and falling apart at the same time.**

 **For the previous question (on Ch. 10) I wouldn't reset my life. Just because I would get a reset on my life doesn't mean that I will hold all my memories/experiences that I've had in my life. Even if I could recall everything, the cons outweigh the pros. Interesting question btw.**

 **Also, for this chapter's question I would say to keep to the schedule that your used to. One chapter is enough and keeps us anticipating what will be coming next for the future of the story.**

We are so close to the human exiting the Ruins, it isn't funny. It's going to be very interesting when that happens. The bit about things coming together and falling apart is such a perfect description of what is going on. I love it!

It is true without your memories, it wouldn't really matter if you reset your life. It wouldn't be any different than living your life for the first time. I could see how, even with memories, there would be issues. Knowing that something is going to happen that you can't prevent are handling the frustration of having been able to do something well and no longer having that muscle memory would be difficult. Thanks for answering.

I'm glad everyone is happy with the current schedule. It does make it easier. Thanks for reading!

 **KaidaShi**

 **Kaida: Oi Error likes Blue they are friends Error may destroy his universe but would probly take care of him in the anti-void.**

 **Shi: Geno can't don anything if he left the save screen we would die...**

 **Me: Just set Red (Nice Underfell Sans) on him.**

I don't think the Blueberry would like Error destroying his universe even if it was for him.

Geno may not be able to leave the save screen but he did manage to pull Sans in there. (Wouldn't really help here though…)

Oh gosh, I don't think any Underfell Sans should find this timeline. So much could go wrong.

Thanks for reading!

 **Smashgunner**

 **I'm sitting here reading this and my younger brother is just staring at me with an ORANGE SWEATER. Or he's looking out the window. It's one of the 2.**

That's actually really funny. As long as he doesn't come at you with a knife, I think you're good. (Although if he's looking out the window, he could be planning something evil! Or not, that's just a great way to think up things for stories.) Thanks for reading.

 **Maliploopie**

 **This story never fails to peek my interest, keep at it my fine tomodachi.**

I'm so glad you find it interesting. I'll keep doing my best! Thanks for reading!

 **Cakegirl21**

 **Wait, so papyrus was doing that just to have more time with his brother? Or is he just a really good actor? Either way I want him dead. XD and to answer your question, it doesn't really matter to me when you upload a chapter or how long it is. You just do what you feel more comfortable with!**

 **Just to let you know the person who told you to upload wherever you feel is more comfortable is me :3 I forgot to put in my name since I can't log in on my phone and I don't have my laptop at the moment**

(I hope I combined these properly.) On a technicality, I'm going to say yes to both questions. You'll get what you want, a very dead Papyrus. Thanks for reading.

 **KawiiChicken**

 **Do what you would like on the YES PAPYRUS IS GONNA DIE AT SOMEPOINT!**

I'm just imagining a very small chicken dancing around chanting about Papyrus dying when reading this comment. It's quite the funny image. Thanks for reading!

 **TheRandomDreeMurr**

 **Ok I finally got my password back! I'm confused... Papyrus is acting... Nice? I thought he wouldn't care so much... What's go on?!**

I can give you a really vague hint if that helps. _You can only ignore a slightly out of time clock for so long before it breaks._ Sorry, I love giving weird hints. Thanks for reading!

 **Nova2711**

 **A seriously serious series is about to get serious feels.**

Seriously! When it gets there, I hope everyone enjoys the feels trip. Thanks for reading!

 **KillerChild67**

 **((ISTILLLOVECAPSANDINOWLOVETHEMMORE))**

 **...IDK Really 2 chapters a week or one I do not know...So my guess was wrong...I kinda had a feeling it was off but anyways...PAPYRUS IF YOU KNEW THERE WAS A RISK OF HER FINDING OUT WHY DID YOU LET HER CHECK UP SANS ANYWAYS...*Sighs* Papyrus cry all you want it won't change anything that you did in this timeline...Huh I still wonder what if Sans remember timelines BOY WOULDN'T THAT BE A TWIST**

 ***So not much of a review but HEY keep up the good work )**

The problem with being someone like Papyrus is that you think you're the smartest person in the room. Predictability plays a huge role in that and, well, Papyrus hasn't been doing much to keep things predictable. The more he grapples to control everything, the less control he will have. Sans remembering could have some interesting consequences. Thanks for reading and the compliment!

 **Unknown**

 **Cant wait for next update.**

Wait no more! Here it is. I'm glad you look forward to updates. Thanks for reading.

 _Thank you all for reading. I look forward to hearing from you guys every week. Due to some wonderful agreements in the reviews, chapters will be a minimum of 1000 words once a week. Thank you all!_

 _Now for the question: Is there ever such a thing as true evil?_


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Chapter 13:

Papyrus' shortcut landed him in his own room. It was much cleaner than it had been during any previous timelines, a simple perk to Sans spending more time inside. Maybe someday he'd actually find a way to thank his brother for all he'd done. Maybe, when everything was right again, he'd explain everything. Until then, he had work to do.

He was promptly reminded of a small detail when he exited his room. Alphys was still in the house looking incredibly impatient. Sighing, he shuffled into view.

"Hey Alphys, don't you have some other place to be hanging around?"

"No, any and all possible activities are cancelled until I get to the bottom of this."

Stifling his own yawn, he eyed his unwanted visitor. "It's late. Is sleeping cancelled too?"

"Absolutely." Glaring sternly at the lanky skeleton, she practically roared. "IF NEED BE, I WILL STAY AWAKE ALL NIGHT!"

Alphys had always been rather obnoxiously insistent on seeing things through to the end, as long as it was something she'd chosen. She could have been really useful if she wasn't too stubborn to listen to him. Her being so nosy this time wasn't appreciated and, try as he might, Papyrus couldn't fully contain his displeasure.

"That seems really counterproductive."

"It's not! When everyone else is tired, they'll let things slip. Then, I'll easily figure everything out!"

"Yeah sure, because everyone is going to stay awake when they're that tired." It was clear to Papyrus that she wasn't getting the hint. "Look, I need you to leave."

"If you're that concerned about sleeping, I'll just sleep on the floor."

Papyrus wasn't certain if she was really that oblivious or if she just wanted to push his buttons. Either way, being subtle wasn't getting him anywhere. She had to go.

"I'm not concerned about you." He snarled at other. "I just want you out of my house. So get up and leave!"

Apparently, that was just enough to get Alphys to yell, again. "I'M NOT LEAVING UNTIL I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH SANS!"

"Well, he's at the lab now so…"

"WHAT?"

"Yep, I dropped him and Undyne off at the lab a few minutes ago." Shrugging, Papyrus continued. "She said he needed urgent care. I figured it was best to leave him with her while I do a few errands if it's gotten that serious. So, there really is no point in you staying here."

"YOU'RE JUST GOING TO DO ERRANDS WHILE YOUR BROTHER IS SICK? YOU MUST BE SOME GREAT SIBLING!"

"Never claimed to be great. There are a few things that I'd rather get done while he's under the weather. Think of it as a surprise for him."

"NGAHHHH! WHATEVER! I'M GOING TO BE THERE WHEN HE GETS BETTER AND FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM!"

"Perfect. Thanks."

"I'M NOT DOING IT FOR YOU!"

"Didn't think so." Papyrus muttered as Alphys stormed out.

The skeleton was grateful for the silence that followed. It meant no one was getting in his way. Still, a small part of him wanted to hear the idle chatter of others.

It was better this way. With a bit of time on his own, he could actually get something done. Even though his original plan was very much altered, things could still work out.

He just had to be prepared. The plan had been risky to begin with. Now, with all the tweaks he'd been forced to make, it was more dangerous than he should realistically be comfortable.

That was the funny thing about having one's own mortality constantly thrown in their face; it lost some of its meaning. Sure dying hurt, but then it ended. The pain only lasted as long as he did. Living when other, important factors, in one's life were so mercilessly cut down was an entirely different story.

Trying to move on burned. Seeing others' joy was much more painful than any knife had been. He may have resigned himself to doing nothing at one point, but he couldn't keep living like that. Papyrus refused to accept that as fate. Things had to change. He had to make them change.

Papyrus was determined.

* * *

Temmie watched silently as the human calmly sifted through the newly created pile of dust. It was all over their clothes by now yet the human seemed intent on feeling every last particle fall between their fingers.

Despite proceeding at a record speed, they always took their time with him. For some reason, the human slowed down to rip apart this monster's soul. With other monsters, they just plowed through the dust, yet they acknowledged his.

Seeing the former king so heartbroken and horrified had become an uncomfortably normal occurrence whenever the human came around. The human seemed to take great pleasure from calling the monster 'Dad' before ending his life. Temmie was always left wondering what kind of family could raise a child like that. Perhaps, it was only possible for one without a family at all.

To crush someone's very being was natural, a tradition so to speak. Whenever something blocks the path, it is eliminated. Humanity had operated like that for millennia. That was their inheritance. They had no choice.

At least, that's what they'd said many timelines ago. It wasn't a matter of wanting to hurt others. They viewed it as some menial obstacle to getting their way. They had to do it.

Temmie knew better than that. They'd laughed. They'd cried. They'd even spared a few monsters before. Despite being shown other options, they chose this path over and over again.

They did it because it was fun. They were a spoiled little brat breaking their toys. They couldn't even be called a friend, not after a few of those resets. Just existing was an infuriatingly redundant exercise.

Temmie was sick of it. Being played with and discarded repeatedly forced some unusual alliances to form last time. Even that didn't work, but that stinking smokestack said it best.

 _"That kid really needs a serious time out."_

* * *

 **Knights the hedgehog**

 **if im being truthful i hate the guys guts(pun intended) but i get also get the fact that hes a little kookoo up their. So for now untill further notice, it's pity.**

Ooh, I find the idea of being a bit kookoo an interesting thing. At what point is it not a valid enough excuse to where pity becomes punch? Now you've got me thinking about that. Thanks for reading!

 **Smashgunner**

 **Psssst...I sent you some chocolate for this chapter. I hope you li- hang on *takes out phone* uh huh...uh huh...WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU SENT THE GIANT DUCK! THIS IS THE 4TH GODDAMN TIME BILL! *Closes phone* sigh. Lock the door. He can sense if it isn't the person's birthday. He will freak out. Sorry. I was gonna fire him. But he keeps convincing me not to.**

I think Bill really wants you to get rid of that Giant Duck. Why else would he keep sending it out? Although, what if Bill keeps sending it to YOU because he wants you gone? (sorry, I'm weird.) Thanks for reading!

 **Cakegirl21**

 **I finally got my laptop back! And for the question, I don't think there is a thing as true evil. People who seem evil are only doing what they think is right. Anyways, great chapter as always! Can't wait for the next one!**

I like that people (including you) are thinking about more than just actions. Mores are different than morals and it makes for a really interesting way to look at people and characters. Thanks for reading!

 **RoyaisAwesome**

 **Thanks for explaining about Undying and the other stuff, great chapter! Chara's a comin! /giggles like a fangirl/ so excited!**

No problem. I hope everything I said made sense. I'm glad you're excited about our human visitor. (There's a chapter in the future that might make that fangirl very happy, dependent on what you like…) Thanks for reading!

 **SarahHuchiga**

 **Undyne is starting to figure it out! Pappy, you are in soooooo much trouble! I hope she realizes what's wrong with poor Blueberry soon. My feelings are still mixed with Pap, but anyways. Good work as always. Now. For your question, the only true evil, comes when you have no remorse or feeling for something you know was wrong. True evil can exist, but it is very rare, since most people do feel some remorse or guilt, but just learn to block it out. Wow. This got long. Sorry. See you next week!**

Yep, Undyne is getting there. I'm actually really excited to see what people think about Papy, and everyone else, a few chapters from now. You're interpretation of true evil is very interesting and thoughtful. It seems to be a functional definition that would encompass the likes of some serial killers (the no remorse part at least). I don't mind long reviews so there's no need to be sorry. Thanks for reading!

 **Koopie**

 **Ah, poor Sansy, and yes true evil is achieved on the genocide run.**

I don't know if you'll believe me, but there were a lot of 'poor Sansy' scenes that simply didn't make the cut for this story's plan. Take that however you wish. Thanks for reading!

 **KawiiChicken**

 **And thus,the chicken dance was**

 **Maybe?I mean,Papyrus is true evil so yes?**

Yay, chicken dance! It's an opinion based question so it's okay not to be totally sure. Thanks for reading!

 **Shippinggoddess101**

 **There is no such thing as a 'true evil', as even from everyone's point of view they will have their own means, thoughts and self concepts. And by that I mean they do what they this'll be best for themselves and even if others see them as being 'evil' they may see themselves as nothing like that, even borderline unsuspicious.**

I think I understand you. The individual really plays a role in defining evil, but can't actually define others as such. When someone says they're evil in joke context, they really aren't; however someone truly believing themselves to be evil would be the only accurate definition of being evil. Still, people don't see themselves as evil because they know their inner motivations which justify their actions. I'm not certain if I said that right. Thanks for reading.

 _Sorry, I don't have a question this week._

 _As always, I greatly appreciate every single one of you reading. Thank you!_


	14. Chapter 14

**Thanks for reading!**

Chapter 14:

When Sans gained some form of consciousness, he couldn't move at all. He could feel the heat coursing through his bones and the slight chill of something on his forehead, yet he was unable to move enough to even see.

It was almost like he wasn't attached to his body. He knew it was there but he couldn't properly connect to it. Idly, his mind wandered. Was this what death felt like? He was but he wasn't all at the same time. It was odd, foreign even, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Sans would dare call it peaceful.

He wanted to stay like that forever. It was so calm and quite. Sans couldn't remember the last time a thousand thoughts hadn't been running through his mind, yet like this every thought was independent. It was like he had all the time in the world.

Unfortunately, the burn in his bones didn't allow the small skeleton to just be. The stronger the feeling grew, the more firmly it anchored Sans into reality. The cool on his forehead was no more. As time passed, how much he had no clue, the sensation of his own body went from plain existence to overwhelming heat and pain.

He was so hot. Surely, his bones had partially melted by now, but there was more. The burn was accompanied by the oh so familiar feeling of damaged bones. It didn't matter how much he tried to concentrate on something else; be it old songs, silly stories, or solutions to puzzles he'd solve, he couldn't distance himself from the sensation.

To feel one's bones coursing with heat and thoroughly damaged at the same time wasn't just unpleasant. It was tiring. With all of his body's energy naturally focused on healing, Sans was exhausted. He really wanted to sleep. It would be okay if he took a nap just this once, right?

 _It hurt in a way he couldn't quite explain. Every singe tested his endurance in a way he'd never expected. The flame danced near his hips for only a moment before diving into a previously unaffected portion of his femur._

 _He had to remind himself that he asked for this. When Papy said training was difficult, painful even, he'd still pressed his brother. He'd begged to be trained._

 _Papy didn't want to hurt him. He was just helping Sans get what he wanted. He needed to be stronger. Papy was simply doing what he'd asked._

 _Even so, Sans couldn't look at the taller skeleton's face. He couldn't admit how weak he was. If Papyrus saw his tears, they'd stop and there was no telling when Papy would ever agree to train him again._

 _The throbbing from his fractured tailbone wasn't enough to ignore the burns anymore. The pain just kept building as the flame lifted from the bone only to return again. Then the flame moved back to his hips._

 _This time there was no hesitation as it seared bone. It was too much. Sans couldn't do it anymore. He screamed but the flame didn't budge._

 _It still licked at his bones as the small skeleton passed out._

Sans could still feel it. Phantom burns across his bones felt just as real as the slow heat of the fever. The sensations were too real and he tightened instinctually, expecting the pain to increase. He was still so very tired but he didn't want to sleep.

He could hear a little and it was just enough to keep him awake. There was just a faint whisper of a voice for a moment then a different one spoke. It sounded anxious and was incredibly loud. It was definitely Alphys.

"YOU CAN'T JUST TELL ME THAT AND NOT LET ME SEE HIM!"

Sans couldn't quite decipher the quiet buzzing of the other voice. He knew it must have been a response of some point but whom and what was lost to him. It didn't really matter, Alphys didn't sound pleased.

"IT IS NOT OKAY! WHAT IF HE DUSTS BEFORE HE CAN TELL US WHAT HAPPENED? YOU SAID HE'S CLOSE TO FALLING AND YOU WON'T LET ME TALK TO HIM! WHOEVER DID THIS IS A DANGER TO HIM AND EVERYONE ELSE. I HAVE TO HANDLE THIS."

"You're going to have to wait." Oh, he could hear the second voice now. Undyne sounded calmer than when he'd ever met her before. "Sans needs to heal and I can't have you causing unnecessary stress. He'll be fine if you just let me work."

"YOU HAVEN'T EXPLAINED ANYTHING, THOUGH. DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON?"

"Sorta. For patient confidentiality, I'm not allowed to share medical information." Concentrating, Sans was barely able to understand her anymore. "Unless there's an overriding order from a guardian or caretaker while Sans is unable to respond, I can't tell you more than I already have."

"I HAVE TO WAIT FOR HIS BROTHER TO APPROVE YOU TELLING ME ANYTHING? THERE'S NO WAY HE'LL SHARE ANYTHING!"

Sans could almost hear the smile as Undyne responded. "Unless there's a very good reason, like an OFFICIAL Guard investigation, I can't do anything about that."

"I AM INVESTIGATING! WHAT DO YOU- oh, OH!"

Sans struggled to open his eyes and sit up at the sudden change in the other's voice. Something was clearly going on and he wanted to know. They were talking about him so it was only natural to be curious.

The exertion produced no desirable results. Whether this was merciful or not, he wouldn't know. Sans fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

* * *

Both monsters were entirely unaware of the momentary consciousness experienced by the small skeleton.

"So, I was right." Undyne could see the smug pride written all over Alphys' face. "Someone really did attack him."

Stiffly, she nodded.

"Okay so; I, Alphys Captain of the Royal Guard, place Sans the skeleton under the protective care of the Royal Guard pending the results of an investigation into his attack. Is that good enough?"

"As long as you actually do that, it's good enough." Eyeing Alphys, the scientist felt a bit guilty at the other's stunned expression. "Look, I just don't want this getting brushed aside. Someone out there, h-hold on I n-nneed a second, it'll be easier if I explain facts first. This will be a bit long. Are you ready?"

"YES! TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!"

"So Papyrus sent me pictures of S-SSans' injuries. That's how I knew t-to go to their house." Fearful that if she didn't speak fast enough the words would get lost in tears, Undyne dived in. "They looked bad in the pictures but seeing them up close. It's somehow worse. TT-They were crushed and t-there was a bit of dust. I thought that, with his illness and you're training, but oh no. I couldn't have been more wrong. He's been terrorized, Alphys. There's no way this only happened once. He was, oh stars, his ribs are demolished a-and then t-there's these numbers. The more I cleaned, the worse it got. I thought, maybe, he did it himself. Nononono… They're so deep and exact. T-Then, I saw his hands. Alphys, it's awful! P-Papyrus said they were just art but I can't see it. I don't even know how he's alive. S-Sans should have died when he received half of what happened to his ribs, his hands are just as deep, and with the rate at which he's currently dusting… There's no way he should be alive! I'm analyzing his pills but I don't know what is keeping him alive. I-Intent matters b-but there are l-limits. T-These should be well beyond that. All I can do is figure out his illness and hope that he stabilizes on his own. I…"

"Undyne, we w-"

"I'm not done." Shaking her head, the scientist continued. "The h-hand carvings, they looked so familiar. I c-can't place it but I kept looking. I d-did a full examination. He's riddled with them. Little marks cover his bones. Some are shapes and others just scars. I c-can't imagine h-how t-terrified Sans must be every day b-because someone is out there d-doing this. I d-don't have actual evidence, but I t-think. Just, how could he? I c-can't think of anyone else t-that has the t-time and that S-Sans wouldn't have. I just… Oh stars. I'm so sorry, so very sorry. I t-thought he was and I trusted him. How? I, just… Sorry, I'm so sorry. Sorry."

Alphys was left searching for words as she glanced between the sobbing scientist and sleeping skeleton. Had Undyne looked up at that moment, she would've seen a warrior hell-bent on revenge. As it was, she was too lost in her own mind to notice.

* * *

 **SarahHuchiga**

 **OK. Pappy is starting to really remind me of how UT! Sans thinks and feels about the runs. Still doesn't excuse his actions towards the poor Blueberry! *Hears Red grumbling something in the background* Whoops. Gotta run. Red get jealous if I ignore him to long. Keep up the good work!**

I don't know if you understand how much of a relief it is that Papy is starting to remind you of UT Sans a little bit in regards to the runs. I've been a nervous that it wasn't going to come across quite right with his other actions. (Hi Red!) Thanks for reading!

 **ravenclawoutcast13**

 **What will temmie do?!**

Temmie has already attempted a few things previously (different timelines) but this timeline is going to be pretty interesting. The human already has an eye out for Temmie's meddling so extra care is necessary. Thanks for reading.

 **Cakegirl21**

 **Ok, so was Papyrus only doing that to his brother so he wouldn't go and fight the human and get killed? Idk, I'm so confused right now. Anyways, I REALLY liked this chapter! But (get ready to feel the wrath of my inner fangirl), ASGORE! WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! WHY DID THEY HAVE TO KILL HIM! Oh wait, they're doing a genocide run!**

You are ever so close. You've got half the picture now but don't worry the rest is going to be abundantly clear soon enough. I'm glad you really liked the chapter. Indeed, they are doing a genocide run so Asgore is but a necessary casualty. Thanks for reading!

 **Shippinggoddess101**

 **Yes, you are correct!**

 **And it's fine to not have a question and I cannot wait for the next chapter. I absolutely love this fan fiction, so please, keep up the good work ~**

Glad we're on the same page. I'm really pleased that you love my story. I'll keep doing my best. Thanks for reading!

 **KawiiChicken**

 **( : Have an awesome week!**

You too! Thanks for reading.

 **Jooplie**

 **More poor sansy scenes, eh?**

Yep, yep, yep. You get a tiny taste of what was cut in this chapter. I've said it before but I don't want the abuse to become a 'more of the same' type event in this story. There's a plot so a lot of potential poor sansy scenes were cut to emphasize the storyline. Thanks for reading.

 **Nova2711**

 **Oh boy oh boy oh boy!**

 **We are absolutely about to dig that little bit deeper into this story!**

Yes, I'm so excited to really expose some of those little secrets which are going to make all of you (I hope) get a clear understanding of everything going on. Thanks for reading!

 **Guest**

 **I love your story, but it is so suspenseful. I cannot wait to see what happens next**

I'm glad you like my story. Hopefully, everyone enjoys what all the suspense is building up to. Thanks for reading!

 _The question this week is really simple. What wouldn't you do to protect someone you love?_

 _Thank you all for reading this story._


	15. Chapter 15

**Thanks for reading!**

Chapter 15:

Humming, Papyrus sorted through his supplies. He had all the necessary rope, a small batch of explosives, and a machine looking like an oversized locket.

Gently, he hid the odd contraption in his hoodie. Of all the things he'd tried, this was the only item he ever felt certain would work. He'd tested it on a dozen other souls, with and without some degree of determination, and had overwhelming success.

The human's own game was going to be their undoing. He smirked at the thought. He'd never believed he'd actually have anything to thank them for but there was always a first time for everything.

That stupid human's insistence on starting things over for no plausible reason had given him all the time he'd needed to theorize and test. He'd managed to overcome the haze of memories being lost as resets had gone on.

Now, he had to live with those memories swimming through his mind without pause. He'd never be able to go back to what he was before but he didn't really want to. It was so much better knowing. Maybe someday, he'd help the others remember.

Resetting had its benefits. His own mistakes weren't as heavy as they were the first few times and now he could finally end it. Perhaps he should feel a bit guilty for his actions, but he didn't.

The human caused this. It was entirely their fault. If a few aggressive monsters had to go on an impromptu vacation until no one remembered them, well, that was a price Papyrus was willing to pay. It wasn't like they were worth saving anyway.

He would do whatever was necessary to protect his precious masterpiece. Soon, things would work out. Even with Alphys and Undyne meddling, it would finally end. A bucketful of dust and an ocean of tears was worth it. He'd make sure he got his happy ending. No human or monster was going to get in his way.

Then, there would be no more do overs.

* * *

Undyne was still babbling between sobs when an insistent beeping began. It was just annoying enough for the scientist to pull herself together and check one of her many machines. Swiping the paper printed, she attempted to calm down. She still had a job to do.

"T-These are the r-results. LL-Let's see…"

All words were lost when she began to read the contents of the pills. Only two ingredients were identified. Neither were good news.

"ARE YOU JUST GOING TO STARE AT THAT PAPER ALL DAY OR ARE YOU GOING TO TELL ME WHAT IT IS?" Alphys had clearly gotten impatient with her.

"It's nine parts SE and one part DT." The scientist's voice wavered in disbelief.

"What does that even mean?"

"DT is an integral component to human souls. It's what makes humans, well, human. All I know about it is w-what I've studied with the souls from the Queen. It's sorta like a life source, keeping human bodies connected and going. SE is a naturally occurring component for monster souls. It's basically the monster variant of DT. It c-can be transferred bb-between m-monsters in miniscule amounts during things like pregnancy and advanced healing practices. It's a really dangerous thing to do though. Giving up a fraction too much can make souls unstable and cause them to collapse. That doesn't take into account the potential long term side effects of receiving too much. Occasionally, monsters have used it as a form of steroid because, in some cases, it can increase base HP."

"So, what's wrong with that?"

"It's the quantity that is concerning. One pill contained enough SE to account for an entire monster soul. There's simply no way to obtain that much without having killed the monster." Scrutinizing the results once more, something stuck out to the scientist. "I used t-to have a theory that a m-monster's soul could, with the p-proper amount of SE, come to m-mimic a human's with the addition of DT. T-These proportions aren't exactly w-what I'd t-thought but they're really close. I just don't get it! No one should have access to DT but me and I'd only talked about my theory with… Oh stars."

"UNDYNE, JUST TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON! WHO DID YOU TALK ABOUT THIS WITH? IS SANS GOING TO BE OKAY?"

Shifting over to the small skeleton, Undyne looked at him with pity. "N-No, Sans is not going to be okay. I d-don't know enough to flush it out of his system and a direct purge from his soul would only kill him. As long as he doesn't s-sustain any more injuries he should survive b-but… We can't protect him."

"THE HELL WE CAN'T! NO ONE IS GOING TO LAY A FINGER ON HIM AGAIN!"

"You don't get it!" Undyne wailed, tears pouring down her face. "It's Papyrus! The only one who has ever read my notes, gave Sans medicine, and could have hurt him like this is Papyrus. There's nothing we can do to stop him from just popping in at any moment! H-He used me! I don't know why but he's doing this on purpose. He's the one who hurt Sans. He's pushing his brother to the brink of death, risking his own brother's life, on a theory! That bottle is filled with pills containing SE required that would've killed dozens of monsters. Papyrus is, oh no, he's –hic-. I should've seen it before! Why would anyone, it's just, I'M SO STUPID!"

"You're not stupid. You're the smartest monster I know." Alphys cooed to no avail and slowly backed away. She struggled just to keep her rage out of her voice. It wouldn't do any good here, there was a skeleton to crush. "Just take care of Sans and yourself, I'll be back. He's not getting away with this. I swear."

Undyne barely recognized the words spoken by the other. She was too busy crying into the sheets next to Sans. All the while, she apologized profusely.

" _I'm so sorry. If only I'd seen, I should have-. It's all my fault. I'm so very sorry. Please make it! P-Please, I c-can't fail. You d-deserve to, p-please! Why didn't I see? I'm so sorry."_

* * *

The snow crunched beneath their shoes. While it wasn't a new sensation by any means, they loved the sound it made. Stomping around always brought a smile to their face. It was a simple pleasure, but they were a kid so it shouldn't matter. They were just having fun!

Temmie should have recognized that, but the fur bag had actually gotten upset over a few of the resets. Even that didn't matter in the long run; they could always just fix everything later. It didn't make sense to be angry when your toy breaks if it always ended up good as new.

So lost in their own thoughts was the human, they hadn't noticed how far they'd walked until they were standing next to a very conveniently shaped lamp. It took them but a moment to register why this was so wrong. They hadn't run into anyone. Their favorite friends weren't around to play.

* * *

 **Zanza Flux**

 **Oh poor Undyne. I think she's starting to piece things together. The thought that Papyrus might be behind it all is causing her mind to get all frazzled. She can't even tell Alphys what's going on. I don't blame her. The thought that Paps used their friendship to make himself look innocent must really hurt.**

Whelp, Undyne's figured it out. She had to spell it out to Alphys but now they both are mildly informed. (Undyne way more than Alphys.) What you said about how Undyne is feeling right now is one hundred percent accurate. There's also a lot of self-blame. In a way, she's being the near opposite to Papyrus right now. One won't accept blame for their actions while the other takes it even when it wasn't their fault. Thanks for reading!

 **RoyaisAwesome**

 **I wouldn't die for them. I'd live. Ex: If someone tried to shoot my sister I'd take the bullet, and let's say I got shot in the head or something, I wouldn't just take the bullet for her, I'd walk away from it alive so I could do it again.**

This is wonderful! I really love how you would want to walk away just so you could do it again. Thanks for reading!

 **Cakegirl21**

 **I wonder what Alphys will do once she figures out that Papyrus did that... And I honestly can't think of anything I wouldn't do to protect someone I love except for what Papyrus is doing to Sans XD**

Looks like you'll be finding out soon enough. (I feel so evil!) I love how it's, "I'd do anything, except that." I don't know why but it amused me. Thanks for reading!

 **SarahHuchiga**

 **The answer is simple. I WOULDNT DO WHAT PAPY IS DOING TO BLUEBERRY! *Coughs* Sorry. My inner Undyne came out there. Papy is about to have a very bad time. It's going to be a matter of who gets to him first, Frisk or Alphys. *Yelps as I am pulled into a pair of skelly arms* OK. OK. I'm coming Red. Keep up the good work! *Gets dragged off***

Indeed, Papy is going to have a very bad time. Who do you think is going to get him first? Oh, hi again Red. Have fun. Thanks for reading!

 **D14M0NDHUNT3R**

 **OOOOOOOOOOHHHH ffffffff undyne knows she knows doesn't she omg omg omg oohhhh alphy gonna kill the carrot aaaaaaa oh no I don't want him to die but I know it's gonna happen and oh the suspense I hate it but from a writer's perspective, I love it so much! I'M GOING TO DIE OF SUSPENSE! Ok this review has gone on long enough so keep up the good work and yeah bye**

Yep, she knows. Only time will tell if Alphys gets to be the one to kill the carrot. I'm glad you seem to enjoy my story, even if it is a bit suspenseful. Thanks for reading!

 _I'm sorry this chapter is going up so late on a Friday. I didn't have much time to edit so please tell me if there is anything needing correction. At this point, you should all have enough information to piece together the bulk of what Papyrus has done/is planning, however I'm going to offer you something just in case. If any of you want me to straight up explain what is going on which would include some spoilers, I will through PM or on tumblr (topsycrit). I won't give out these answers in review responses. If none of you have anything you want clarified now, that's okay. I'll be willing to clarify even when the story has been completed._

 _Thank you all for reading._


	16. Chapter 16

**Thanks for reading!**

Chapter 16:

A monstrous screech filled the air. The sound was more similar to that of a thousand screaming children than the single child it came from. The sound didn't end as they insistently called out.

"TEMMIE! TEEEEEEEEEEEEEMMMMMMMMMMMMIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Ever so reluctantly, Temmie approached the human. Whatever possessed the little brat to want them now, they weren't certain and didn't really care. They simply wanted that awful noise to cease.

"Hoi! Wat da human need?"

"WHERE ARE THEY? WHAT DID YOU DO THIS TIME?"

It wasn't difficult for Temmie to figure out what the human was referring to this time. Throughout all the resets, Papyrus and Sans had always greeted them prior to this location. Things were different this time. Why else, if not to see all the endless possibilities of a world, would the human reset?

"You told them, didn't you?" A nasally whine escaped the child as they stomped their feet into the frozen ground. "It's not FAIR. It's my favorite part. This is my game to play. YOU need to stop messing with MY toys!"

Temmie glared at them silently. Of course, that brat was going to blame every little thing on the closest living entity. Of course, they thought that every stinking thing was just a toy for their pleasure. When you live without consequences, nothing ever matters.

They'd been there before. Heck, they'd done the exact same thing the human did, but that didn't mean they couldn't learn. Sometimes, you just have to admit that playing god wasn't the best idea. Toying with lives was dangerous. You never knew who or what someone could remember. Trivial interferences could cause horrible ripples into the entire environment. Even if it doesn't seem to matter, there would always be someone that would ruin your plans.

They hadn't actually done anything this time and still they had to deal with the kid throwing a fit. Temmie didn't have to stay around. They wouldn't.

The kid was still ranting about not playing the game properly as they turned to leave.

"I'm going to go back to the Ruins. Go tell those skeletons that they better come out and play!"

Scampering through the snow, Temmie payed no attention to the human back tracking. While they were heading in the general direction of Snowdin, convincing the smoke stack to come out and entertain wasn't going to happen. No, Temmie knew better than that. The best thing to do now was to hide and hope they got bored before it was their turn to die, again.

* * *

Alphys was barely able to contain her anger as she stormed away from the lab. For anyone to do what Papyrus had done was despicable. He'd broken laws, friendships, and his own brother's bones for what? What did he truly gain from testing a theory like Undyne said? Not only that, he'd lied to her. He'd flat out lied and set her off to look elsewhere.

It was impossible to tell if he'd ever told the truth. Was everything she'd ever heard about the skeleton a cleverly discussed lie, a rumor spread for his own purposes? Just thinking of Papyrus fueled Alphys' rage.

She'd brushed off his attitude. She'd dismissed her own disbelief. She'd believed in him, a sadistic and cruel monster. He didn't deserve mercy. He deserved to be in as much pain as he'd put Sans in. She'd find him and get justice for his crimes. Monsters like that didn't deserve to call someone like Sans their brother.

* * *

Papyrus really didn't feel like staying on the couch. He'd sat there for less than an hour, just waiting. If he remembered correctly, good ol' Asgore had the distinct pleasure of entertaining that hell spawn of a human until the morning. While it didn't give him a large window of opportunity and it would cause great casualties, removing the threat of a reset with the machine and a few well-placed explosives was more than he dared dream possible before.

All he had to do was wait a little bit longer. He had to be certain that the human was nice and cozy in their bed sleeping soundly before he could really get going. It wouldn't do to have his entire plan ruined by the old man's inability to tell a child no to one more bedtime story.

So, he waited rather impatiently. Each second tick on the clock felt like an hour. Each actual minute felt like an eternity.

After a full hour of anxious squirming, Papyrus was relieved to see that now was the time he'd planned. Finally, he popped his joints and headed to the Ruins.

Distance becomes rather irrelevant when taking a shortcut. The door was simply a single step in any direction he wished. It truly was a pity that others had never appreciated the joys of this particular kind of magic. It tended to make them feel a bit dizzy or nauseous.

While that was a topic of interest, the skeleton preferred to focus his energy on the incredibly large door in front of him. At one point, he'd spent hours sitting right outside telling hundreds of jokes just to hear someone laugh. Eventually, he'd learned a little secret about this behemoth door. It was rather simple to open, from inside or outside the Ruins, if you knew how. He'd been shown how during one of those darker timelines. Then, it was acting as his escape, a last hope for the little sanity he had left. It was funny how others would try and 'help' just to make themselves feel a little better. Maybe some did really care, but Papyrus didn't. All that mattered had been taken from him repeatedly and he wasn't about to let that happen again.

While fiddling around to open the door in just the right way, the tall skeleton was entirely unaware of the world around him. He didn't feel the need to pay attention to anything other than his goal at hand. It wasn't until a lighthearted giggle reached his skull that he turned around.

"Shit."

* * *

 **SarahHuchiga**

 **Hmm. Good question. It seems like he's headed towards Frisk to stop her, so that might start to be interesting, but I get the feeling that Alphy will interrupt and something bad might happen. *Pulls Red over* Quit ignoring the nice writer or no fluff time for you tonight. *Red reluctantly waves in a greeting before pulling on my arm* Alright. Good boy. Can't wait for next week! Keep up the good work! *Goes away with Red***

Frisk found Papyrus but you'll have to wait and see how that goes down… I'm glad you're enjoying. Have fun with Red. Thanks for reading.

 **xXSayomiKimitsukiXx**

 **Woah. Its seriously intents**

Hehe, it's going to get a bit more serious in a bit. Thanks for reading.

 **RoyaisAwesome**

 **Udyne knowsssssssssssss. I look at how recently this was updated: 46 m...**

 **Me: Welp I have issues!**

 **Anywho I can't tell who's gonna get it, Papy or the human... I'm gonna go with human.**

Yes, yes she does and Alphys got to understand most of what was being said. You don't have issues, you are AWESOME (just like your name says)! Thanks for reading!

 **Cakegirl21**

 **Welp, you are definitely a goner Papyrus!**

Hey, Goner Papyrus sounds pretty cool. Thanks for reading.

 **Nova2711**

 **Oh...OH DAMMIT I SORTA SEE WHAT PAPYRUS IS TRYING TO DO, I DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD CHEER FOR HIM OR NOT AAAAAAGHRHH! MA POOR LIL BLUEBERRY MUFFIN!**

Well, grab some popcorn and get a drink. A show is coming and the teams are being supported on both sides! Thanks for reading!

 **sage wolfblood**

 **papyrus does care doesn't he he is just venting his anger and memorys to tuffen him up isn't he hes just trying to make him survive this timeline isn't he... SO WHY THE HELL DID YOU SAY HE WOULD DIE SURE HE IS BEING AN ASS BUT HE IS STILL PROTECTING HIM... so why does he die**

Yep, Papyrus does care but he's also gone above and beyond normal levels of protection. He's had a little plan behind just protecting Sans because he wants these timelines to end. He has to die, well, because it's important. It was going to be a genocide run so he was going to die at the end anyway… Thanks for reading!

 _Technically, it is still Friday for me so I guess I'm on time just cutting it close._

 _Thank you all for reading and reviewing._


	17. Chapter 17

**Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Chapter 17:

Papyrus was too late. All of his carefully constructed plans were ruined. The human had arrived much earlier than any time before.

He still had the machine, but it would be impossible to actually attach it properly without getting killed. Of course, the human would make some drastic change when he needed them to be predictable. That was just his luck.

"Hey, buddy!" Hand outstretched, the human shook with barely contained laughter. Their smile stretched wide at the apparent switching of roles. "Don't you know how to greet a new pal?"

"Look kid, I'm really not in the mood." Papyrus was clearly not as amused as the other.

"You can't leave me hanging!"

Fixing his glare on them, Papyrus freely let the venom drip in his voice. "There's nothing more I'd love to do than ensure you're left hanging, preferably forever."

"Come on Papy, that's not nice." If the human had noticed his tone, they didn't show it. They seemed rather content to play the part of a sweet human. "What would dear little Sansy think about you being mean to a small defenseless child?"

"He'd forgive me. He always does."

Their arm dropped to their side at his words. For just a moment, their smile faltered. It was back, wider than ever, before the skeleton had a chance to notice.

"If you won't let me do your part, at least play it yourself. Surely, you're not so lazy that you won't do that anymore."

"No."

"What do you mean, 'No.'? You have to!"

"No. I don't have to do anything for you."

"YES YOU DO! This is MY game. YOU don't have the right to say NO. STOP RUINING IT!"

"Yeah, okay kiddo." Papyrus' magic sparked to light. "How about we just skip to the end of this _game_ , kay? Go burn in Hell."

Within seconds, blasters formed and fired with a deafening roar.

Much to Papyrus' disappointment, the human didn't seem to take any damage. They seemed wholly unaffected and continued on chattering, about what he didn't care. Still he could feel them checking him. It wasn't like they'd get any new or useful information out of it, so he let them. Perhaps he was still being lazy but the current lack of attacking was idle. He didn't have to try so hard, yet.

 **Papyrus**

 **A great liar, even to himself.**

An endless array of bones surged forth, missing. The pattern changed. Still they failed. Another round of blasters had the same result.

Miss.

Miss.

Miss.

Spare?

No, he couldn't accept that. Maybe the human had done this enough times to predict him, but he couldn't accept mercy. They'd never given him any before.

Blast.

Miss.

Miss.

Miss.

The sudden clashing of bones and reinforced armor signified an entirely new battle. A battle Papyrus wasn't ready for.

Alphys had joined the fray.

/

A small hand ran soothing circles into Undyne's back. With each rotation, Sans whispered to her and yet the words were lost. Simply looking at him caused Undyne to burst into another fit of tears.

So, she didn't. Undyne wept freely but refused to let her mind focus on any one thing. She cried for Sans. She cried for her failures. She cried over her unknowing assistance. Undyne cried until she could cry no more. Her tears had run dry, but she was still consumed with guilt. Pushing away her own desire to crawl into a hole and die, she turned her attention to the skeleton needing her help.

Slowly, the whispers began to make sense. Sans was comforting her, shooshing her fears and encouraging her just to cry. Tomorrow would be better.

While the words were kind, they filled her with a special kind of disgust. He wasn't supposed to be helping her. It was wrong. What kind of pathetic monster was she that Sans, the one going through his own personal hell, was comforting her? She was supposed to help him. She needed to do something.

Flashing the brightest, toothiest smile she could, Undyne turned the comforting back to the skeleton. "W-We are going t-tto be just f-fine. I p-promise you are s-safe now. Everything is going t-to be okay."

She couldn't tell if Sans believed her. Maybe that didn't matter. She could show him. Scooping up the ridiculously light skeleton, Undyne headed towards her plethora of screens.

"Sans, just watch. I'll show you." Undyne flicked through the various camera feeds. "Alphys is g-going to take c-care of everything. Papyrus isn't going to h-hurt you anymore. T-There's nothing to w-worry about."

Undyne was quite pleased when she was able to locate both Papyrus and Alphys on the same camera. She even swelled with pride at seeing Alphys had someone pinned the tall skeleton against a tree. With her touching him, there was no way for him to simply escape.

There appeared to be a small child watching the two monsters as well, but Undyne was most intent on the event occurring with Alphys and Papyrus. The snow surrounding them seemed unusually gray.

For some odd reason, the audio component of the feed wasn't relaying. After a few minutes of tinkering with lines of code, the audio came blasting through her speakers. She really wished it hadn't.

Papyrus was screaming. The blood curling sound wasn't what was so bothersome. It was the laughter. Alphys was laughing and mocking the skeleton.

Alphys' axe tapped lightly at what Undyne could now see was the remains of Papyrus' upper arm.

"I bet he begged you to stop. Didn't he? You don't have to respond. I already know that answer."

Still, Papyrus kept screaming as Alphys moved onto his legs. His left leg was snapped off from the knee down. Alphys didn't seem deterred at all. Her axe swung down upon the right leg moments after.

"You tortured your own brother. There's no telling to what extent you hurt him." A sneer covered her face. "Did he even get to sleep or was there always the looming threat that Papy might come back to entertain himself? With what I've seen, Sans spent every living moment in utter terror. Monsters like you disgust me. YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE."

With a final swing, the skeleton disintegrated into a pile of dust.

Somewhere during it all, the human child disappeared.

It took far too long for Undyne to kill the feed. After only a second's consideration, she also deleted the recorded history of that camera. No one should ever be able to see that, to hear that even.

All the while, Sans stared blankly at the screen. He'd seen and heard it all. Even with Undyne deleting all video evidence, she couldn't prevent him from being fully aware of exactly how his brother died.

* * *

 **Guest**

 **LOCK YOUR DOORS 'DYNE! NOW!**

But would locks really do anything when someone has shortcuts? I suppose it doesn't matter now. Thanks for reading.

 **Bookworm on WiFi**

 ***flails***

 **ERROR! YOU NEED TO KIDNAP BLUEBERRY AGAIN!**

 ***mutters* at least he didn't dust with Error..**

 **Greetings! I call myself Bookworm and I have just discovered this masterpiece!**

 **I'm sorry that I didn't review earlier but I don't normally review on a new story to me until the last updated page.. _"**

 **And so, as a good reader, I'ma review! I think that you have caught a great story line and a rather unique one too! I like your style and way of writing. The seemingly continuous updates are also a plus. It's rare to see this type of relationship between everyone's favorite skele-bros. Without said relationship being Fontcest.. . (Lookin' at you, sinners) So your take on it is.. almost a sight for sore eyes that connect to a messed up head?**

 **After reading some questions/comments, I noticed that my head isn't the only messed up one, is it? Carrot got some problems, it seems. Now my theory is; he started the abuse as merely trying to help his brother handle attacks better and hits as too be able to stand against the human. Then he started to slip and taking it too far and perhaps not enjoying the pain deliverance, but not quite able to stop and he fell too far and too fast in his web of twisted-ness and lies that he just ended up going with it? Sorry if I'm COMPLETELY off course.. I didn't read all the questions/comments I just started typing and couldn't stop!**

 **Well, my apologies for such an awfully long review but my next ones shall be shorter, I swear! Until next time! See ya!**

Hello Bookworm! I'm glad you're enjoying this story and my way of writing. It is a shame you've come into this story right when things are about to wrap up. The carrot definitely has issues, more than can be described adequately without taking up the space of a couple extra chapters. That doesn't even include a few slightly hidden extras for readers to pick up on. I don't mind long reviews at all so feel free to just let the words flow. Thanks for reading and the lovely compliment.

 ***Grabs Papy and puts on a creepy smile***

 **Hurt him and I will *Demonic voice* END YOU!**

Bit late for that, he's already been ended. Thanks for reading.

 **Cakegirl21**

 **YEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS PAPYRUS IS GONNA DIE! *throws a party for everyone who is reading this* WOOOOOOOOOOO!**

Look, he's dead. Enjoy your celebration. Thanks for reading.

 **Morfanerina**

 **Even Temmie is tired of how bratty the brat is being. And not only did Papyrus screw up (good intentions pave the way to hell and all that) but now Sans is screwed up, Undyne is shattered by guilt and Alphys is in a rage. Oh and he is gonna die. Hopefully in pain and regret (is it by the kid or Alphys tho).**

Yep, it's an all-around nothing is quite right. I hope you enjoyed Papyrus' pain and death by a very furious Alphys. Thanks for reading.

 **ravenclawoutcast13**

 **Oooooooh paps is gonna get it now**

Indeed, Paps has gotten it. Thanks for reading.

 **SarahHuchiga**

 **Papy is thiiiiiiisssss close to getting it. *Moves my thumb and forefinger together in a really close space* Argh! Why must you leave us on a cliffy? That's just plain evil. Now I can't wait for next week!**

Whoop, there it is. Papyrus has gotten it. As for leaving things on a cliff hanger, I was going to put a filler chapter between 16 and 17 but I thought this was nicer. Thanks for reading!

 **RoyaisAwesome**

 **Paps is gonna get it~**

 **Also I'm NOT awesome, "Royai" is the ship name for Roy and Riza, one of the most popular ships in Fullmetal Alchmist Brotherhood (Although it used to be for Roy yoai, idk HOW it changed to its current meaning).**

 **ALSO. I'M READING THIS 2 MIN AFTER IT HAS BEEN UPDATED. I'M PRETTY SURE I HAVE ISSUES.**

 **Brain: You have issues**

 **Me: I KNOW**

Paps has gotten it. I didn't know that Royai is a ship name but I still think you are awesome! It's nice getting a review so soon after updates so I reap the rewards of those issues. Thanks for reading.

 _I've been slacking on my questions so here is this week's. What is your greatest fear?_

 _I hope everyone had a spooky and safe Halloween. Thank you all so much for reading my story. We are coming close to the end now and, while I could add plenty of extra chapters, I think it is best that this story ends soon. I want you all to know how much I greatly appreciate your support. Thank you and have a wonderful weekend._


	18. Chapter 18

**Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Chapter 18:

 _He could only see the eyes. They were red, so red. Those crimson eyes were crying._

 _He knew he should be scared but he wasn't. He ached. This was the end, wasn't it?_

 _Finally…_

Sans jolted awake. The sensation of his fingers against the blanket felt so wrong. The dream had been too perfect. Everything had been right, he had been free!

He wanted to scream and cry. He wanted to let go of everything. He wanted to be free.

He would be free. Now was his chance.

Calmly, he slid a small knife out from under his bed. How long ago had he first had this thought? Maybe, it was when he realized that he'd never be able to sleep in his bedroom again without knowing the room next to it was empty. Maybe, it was when everyone refused to acknowledge what had truly happened by spinning things into a better light for someone else.

He didn't know. It didn't matter. Today would be the day. _No matter what, today would be the day._

He was still at Undyne's. She'd cleared out a room for him, so he stayed. Even with the fever gone, she'd insisted on checking in on him. His ribcage was still wrapped daily, a bitter reminder of how inferior in skill Undyne was to Papyrus. Despite all her efforts, Undyne was better at erasing evidence than stopping the seemingly endless dusting of his ribs. His brother always knew what to do. He could fix anything.

It'd been weeks since Papy had died. Or, had it? He really didn't know. He didn't care. Papyrus was dead. His brother had been murdered by the one monster sworn to protect others. Alphys had killed him.

There had been no trial, no consequences. She never even apologized. Even if she had a million excuses, a million reasons, she still killed Papyrus.

There was no going back from that. No matter how many times Alphys came visiting; he couldn't see her the same way. She'd killed his brother and no one cared.

They didn't even let him collect the dust.

"He wasn't worth the effort." They'd say.

"Everyone's better off this way." They tried to get him to believe them. "He only hurt everyone around him."

There was a single point that Undyne brought up in defense of Alphys constantly.

" _She saved you."_

 _She saved you. She saved you. She saved you._

The words repeated in his mind over and over again. Everyone thought Alphys as some kind of super hero, saving little helpless Sans from his horribly evil brother. It wasn't fair. They didn't know the truth.

Alphys had murdered his brother! She actually killed someone, but no one cared. No one cared that Papyrus had died a slow and painful death. No one cared at all!

Sans cared. He cared so much that it hurt everyday just waking up. It hurt to exist. In his soul, he knew Papyrus hadn't always been the best brother. He'd hurt Sans, but he always had a reason. Papyrus knew better than him. Sans trusted him. Even when no one else was there for him, Papy always had been. Now he was gone.

For the first time in weeks, Sans left his room. The lab had gotten surprisingly crowded after Papy died. Every day new monsters came here seeking shelter of some kind. All he knew was that monsters were going missing in record numbers. None of those monsters bothered talking to him. All Sans had gotten from them whenever they'd accidently stumbled upon him was looks of pity and occasionally horror.

It was almost funny how fast they ran away. It was like they believed every lie spread about Papyrus. Rumors had spread throughout the Underground. Rumors of torture so intense and violating that just hearing tidbits made him feel ill filled the halls. Some seemed to even believe that Papyrus was currently out there hunting down every monster in the Underground. Undyne did her best to keep them away, but someone always managed to be just loud enough for him to hear.

He didn't care anymore. Let them think those awful things. Let them condemn someone they'd never met. Let them ignore that their 'hero' was a cold blooded murderer.

His legs were hardly stable beneath him, but Sans was determined. He wanted to go home. He needed to go home. Cautiously, he weaved around the other monsters careful to avoid making eye contact.

The walk to Snowdin was slow and painful. Multiple times he had to take a break simply to breathe. Pushing through his aching bones and ragged breath, Sans finally made it back to their home.

 _His_ home, he had to correct himself. Papyrus didn't exist anymore. Papy was gone.

Sans hesitated at the door. It felt wrong. This had been their home and now it was just his. He'd never even considered what life would truly be like without his brother. He'd wanted things to be different but not that different. Without Papy, he didn't know what to wouldn't be a problem for long.

Opening, Sans was surprised to find a human sitting comfortably on the couch. It wasn't just any human. It was the human that saw Papyrus die. They knew.

They knew and hadn't said anything. They'd experienced Papy's death first hand and didn't care. Sans' attention dwelled on the way dust clung to every part of their clothing like some form of shield.

When he saw the orange hoodie, conflicting emotions swarmed the small skeleton. It was warm and comforting, a color that belonged with his brother. At the same time, simply seeing the hoodie reminded him of all the pain. He was supposed to be cautious of the owner of that hoodie, but that simply didn't matter anymore. Sans was too numb to be scared.

The human was approaching, a knife of their own in hand. He didn't care. They were just making things easier for him.

Sans didn't fight. He didn't want to anymore. Everyone he'd ever loved was gone. He didn't matter.

It was better this way. No one would get hurt because he needed saving. No one would have to tiptoe around him. They could all go about living their lives like before.

When the knife scraped across his bones full of intent, he didn't cry out. This was it. Sans smiled.

* * *

 **Cakegirl21**

 **WOOOOOOOOOOOOO PAPYRUS IS DEAD! But... Sans won't ever act the same after watching his brother die! I'M SO HAPPY BUT ALSO SO SAD AT THE SAME TIME!**

I mean, Sans won't be doing much. I'm pretty positive that happy is going to disappear rather quickly. Thanks for reading!

 **Morfanerina**

 **On one hand Pap is dead. Yay! On the other hand, Sans not only saw but also heard Alphys kill his brother. Painfully. My poor baby ç.ç (I know Undyne meant well but goddamnit). Oh there's also a murdering child on the loose who may either be mad or happy (curious?) at something new happening. I'm not sure which is worse.**

It definitely impacted Sans greatly not only the actual viewing of but also the knowledge that all evidence was erased. The murdering child will continue on their murderous ways… Thanks for reading!

 **RoyaisAwesome**

 **OMG! I just realized I spelt "yaoi" wrong in my previous review... I also have no sympathy for Paps, as the song "Cell Block Tango" says from "Chicago," "HE HAD IT COMMIN! HE HAD IT COMMIN! HE ONLY HAD HIMSELF TO BLAME!"**

Spelling errors happen, that's nothing to worry about. Papyrus definitely had something coming his way, although every action has some form of reaction. Thanks for reading!

 **Shippinggoddess101**

 **Wowee! Everything has gone to shit hasn't it? Pappy's dead... The human disappeared... San's saw his brother's death. Why do I feel sans is gonna be upset about pappy and forgive him for everything he's done? Anyway, that's just me.**

 **My biggest fear? It would be betrayal. I've always had those thoughts of friends and family talking behind my back, not really enjoying my company... It's scary thinking of how easily you could be forgotten... But, again, thats just me. What about you Author-Chan?**

 **~Mau**

Well, you weren't wrong. There's nothing quite like a good ol' everything has gone to shit as we draw this story to a close.

Betrayal is a horribly unpleasant experience and feeling that kinda tails you forever. Once you've been betrayed by someone you trusted once, that fear always lingers. It's a really interesting and (I'd say) valid fear. My greatest fear? It's not that different. I fear insignificance. At the eventual point that I'm not in someone's life anymore or I'm deceased, I want to have meant something. It's a terrifying idea that everything I've done could have made zero impact on the world. Anywhoozers, Thanks for reading!

 **xXSayomiKimitsukiXx**

 **So this is either the end or near the end Huh? I hope Sans can recover from these events. I really enjoyed reading this and it kept me anticipation of the next update**

This is very close to the end. There is only a single chapter after this one. I'm really glad that you've enjoyed reading this and that it kept you anticipating updates. Thank you so much for reading and the lovely comment!

 **D14M0NDHUNT3R**

 **He's dead now and I don't know what to think...**

 **UNDYNE YOU SHOULDN'T'VE LET SANS WATCH NOW HES GONNA BE DEPRESSED oh wait is chara gonna kill Alphys? Also it's probably gonna reset isn't it...**

Well, he's definitely depressed. There's no denying that. As for Chara killing Alphys, that'd be Frisk's job in this AU, but we won't be getting into that. Thanks for reading.

 **SarahHuchiga**

 ***Flails and holds my heart* Oh. My. God. Don't get me wrong. I'm happy Papy is wrong, but did you have to be so evil and let the sweet little blueberry see that torture? Now his sweet innocence shall be ruined! As for your question, hmm... My biggest fear would have to be having my family taken from me. I know that they will all die eventually, but if they do I want it to be painless while they are sleeping because of old age. I'm a pretty protective oldest of three. So yeah. See you next week!**

A simple answer to your question is yes. I do believe I get some form of creative power from causing characters to suffer so there's always that. Losing family is bad enough but having them taken from you just makes it sound worse. I totally understand this fear. Thanks for reading!

 **Zanza Flux**

 **Oh Papyrus. This is what happens when you think you are the smartest person in the room. I guess if he had stuck to the routine, the brat wouldn't have gotten suspicious. Should have known Alphys would have killed him first. I just wished Blue hadn't seen that. I know Undyne is going to be kicking herself for that. I love Alphys too but man, she has a one track mind. Did she miss the human in the bright green striped shirt just sitting there? You know that little oversight is going to come back to bite her in the ass.**

 **I just thought of something. -spoiler warning- You know how in Undertale you can get Undyne to chase you to Hotland where she gets overheated and passes out? Well, in Underswap, would you get Alphys to chase you to Snowdin? I mean, she is coldblooded right? The cold temperature should slow her down since she can't regulate her own body heat. I've never seen anyone touch this when doing an Underswap story. I just wanted to know what you think of this.**

 **As for your question, my biggest fear (besides spiders) is getting lost. Not just physically but mentally. I've spent years taking care of my grandmother before she passed away and I watched dementia slowly take her mind. Near the end she was so confused and frustrated. Sometimes I'm scared that will happen to me.**

Ah yes, the faults in being cocky. Add Papyrus to that list of examples. Undyne is going to be kicking herself even more now… Alphys' one track mind, ignoring a human in exchange for a monster, isn't that lovely! On the cold blooded part, it does make sense for Underswap. I made a little joke (at least in the drafts I don't know right now if it made it through edits) about how Undyne, a fish, would have to _really_ hate herself to live in Hotland so that little detail falls right into comfortable territory for me. I won't be touching on it in this story, but if I ever write another Underswap story that includes much of Alphys in it that will likely be included as a detail (thanks I like that thought).

I'm first going to say that I have a horrible sense of direction so getting lost physically is much more common when I don't have my phone than it really should be. Getting lost mentally, that is a guaranteed frustration. I can't imagine how difficult that must have been for your grandmother to experience and for you to watch. Wow, that is a truly terrifying thought especially with how it is something you cannot avoid.

Thanks for reading

 **WHISTLES**

 **Ohhhh SNAP**

Crackle and pop. Thanks for reading.

 **Nova2711**

 **...just when I realized what Papyrus was doing...he gets killed, DAMMIT I MISS HIM! poor blueberry**

Well, Papyrus was being all sneaky like. Wanna know who else misses him? Sans. Thanks for reading!

 **UltimateGamer101**

 **Nooooooo dun hurt Blueberry ;-;**

 ***summons inner Chara* You don't wanna mess with the Blueberry... oh wait... this is Underswap, I'm the pacifist... FRICK.**

 **Lock the doors and close the blinds, we're going for a ride! :D**

Ahhh, but I already did, multiple times. Here, have another. Hope you've enjoyed the ride since this is the next to last chapter. Thanks for reading.

 **The Demon Skull Reaper**

 **The blueberry looks delocius**

 **THE INNOCINES**

Honestly, I don't know what to say to these. Thanks for reading.

 _Friendly reminder: If you are feeling depressed or suicidal, please find someone to talk to. You are all wonderful people and it'd be a horrible shame for your life to be cut short._

 _Above all else, you are important for you, not for being someone to someone else. You are important._

 _This story is coming to a close with there being a singular chapter left and I'm super grateful for all of you who've joined me. Thank you all so much for reading!_


	19. Chapter 19

**This is the final chapter. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Chapter 19:

Papyrus stared at the television without really watching it. These last few weeks he struggled to do much of anything. He'd been so close. If he had been a few hours faster, things would be different. He wouldn't be here on the couch waiting for his brother to walk down the stairs.

The cautious footsteps of the small skeleton could be heard. For a moment, Papyrus pondered for a brief second if he should let his brother sneak out this time. No, he was much too close last time. Only miniscule changes could be allowed this time. Papyrus waited for the quiet creak as Sans reached the bottom step.

"What are you doing up?" He was too tired to bother trying to be intimidating.

"W-Water!" Sans' voice wavered. "I wanted to get a glass of water. I woke up pretty thirsty!"

The words were different but it was always the same pattern. It was better that way.

Grumbling, Papyrus hauled himself off the furniture. Slowly slinking to the kitchen, he watched his anxious brother for a moment before feeling underneath his hoodie for the key. Locking the cabinets was both a preventative measure and a show of power. Begrudgingly, he took out a glass.

"And what are you going to give me for this?" He growled lowly.

"W-Whatever you want, Pappy!" The small skeleton's eye lights dilated in a mock display of happy, almost eager, enthusiasm.

Satisfied that things were on schedule, he filled the glass a quarter full. He felt too impatient to fill it up to the normal half for the evening and just handed it over. For a split second, Sans struggled to hold the glass with his shaking hands.

"T-Thank you, Pappy!" Sans gulped at the clear liquid. "I think I'll go back to bed now!"

"Hand."

Quietly, Sans returned the glass to the counter and offered up his dominant hand. Without bothering to look at his brother's face, Papyrus retrieved the knife. He'd sharpened it this evening to make things extra easy and now he could get to the highlight of his day.

"Don't make a sound."

Sans gave a quick jerk of the head, tears already threatening to slip from his sockets.

Running the blade across shaking bone, Papyrus found his peace. Every image was a memorial and every sliver of bone a reminder. This was real. His masterpiece was right here with him. It was all his. This was real.

The tears were beautiful, the vine adding a bit of grace. Careful not to accidently remove Sans' finger, he deepened some marks. Their meanings lost on all but him. Moving back to the fight scene, larger more powerful skulls were engraved. By the time he'd arrived at the stars, Papyrus was visibly relaxed.

When the little exercise was done, Papyrus reluctantly returned the hand. If he had his way, he'd continue carving into the skeleton's bones until not a single inch wasn't covered. Unfortunately, he couldn't have his way. At least, he couldn't yet. He still had to deal with that human and if what Temmie had said was true, he couldn't risk a repeat of last time.

Gently, he wrapped the small skeleton into a hug. It felt like an eternity since Sans had genuinely hugged back, but that didn't matter. Soon, everything was going to work out like he planned.

"I was thinking, tomorrow is errand day." He hummed thoughtfully as he watched the fear pass across his brother's face. "Instead of you going out on your own, I thought I might join you."

"R-Really?" It was almost painfully obvious that Sans did not like that idea. "Y-You don't have to. I c-can handle it."

"Of course. You've been so good recently. I thought it'd be nice."

"Oh, okay."

There was no relief or joy from the skeleton. Papyrus knew why. He knew that Sans relished that little freedom outside the house. He knew how excited his brother was to be free of him. He just couldn't let things happen the same way again.

He'd been so close, too close. If Alphys hadn't interfered, everything would have gone differently. Sure, he'd needed to arrive at the Ruins much earlier than anticipated, but he could have handled the kid. Everything would work out perfectly fine if others stopped meddling in business that wasn't theirs. He was certain of it.

"Now, go back upstairs." Papyrus returned to the couch, certain sleep was possible now. "I'm watching a show. Don't disturb me until I'm done."

He wasn't watching a show. He hadn't found any enjoyment out of mindlessly watching awful reruns by the third reset. No, all he wanted was a peaceful slumber before the wheels started turning again.

It was a blessing that Sans took the change in patterns so well. Papyrus would have to reward his masterpiece later, maybe even move onto his favorite part. While Sans may not fully appreciate what was happening, Papyrus did. Everything would be better this way. The lanky skeleton would take care of everything.

* * *

 **RoyaisAwesome**

 **I'm happy yet sad for Sans, is that wrong?**

It's not wrong at all. Conflicting emotions are good. Thanks for reading!

 **UltimateGamer101**

 **Noooooooo Blueberry should never be suicidal ;-;**

 **Lel revival next chapter? O3o**

Yeeeeeeesssssssss! I have too much fun with characters and indeed there has been a revival. Thanks for reading.

 **ravenclawoutcast13**

 ***heart breaks as I fall down crying ***

 **NOooooo not sans... ,,,QAQ,,,,**

Oh no, it's okay. See, he's alive again! (Just back in the original situation on a never ending loop) Thanks for reading.

 **Cakegirl21**

 **I seriously don't know what to say after i read this chapter**

That's okay. Thanks for reading.

 **SarahHuchiga**

 **I'm now dead. You have killed me. I hope you are happy with yourself. *Totally is ignoring self that all future stories by you shall be read because this was just to good.* I no longer have feelings or a soul. You have managed to break them. Good God this story has been a roller coaster ride. I haven't enjoyed a story like this in quite a while. It sucks that it's ending, but I suppose all good things must come to an end. Great job!**

I am indeed rather pleased with myself. Welcome to the club of those without a soul, we always welcome new members. I'm so glad that you've enjoyed my story that much. All things do need to come to an end and it would only lengthen your suffering if I extended this story. Thank you for your compliment and reading!

 **Guest**

 **QAQ SAAAANS NOOOOOOOO! *grossly sobs into a bucket of black walnut gelato ***

That was weirdly specific. Enjoy your black walnut gelato covered in tears. Thanks for reading.

 **Nova2711**

 **Don't worry Papyrus it was just a dream.**

 **O!**

 **Don't worry Sans it was just a little nightmare.**

 **RESET RESET RESET RESET RESET RESET RESET RESET RESET RESET RESET RESET RESET RESET RESET RESET RESET RESET RESET RESET RESET RESET NOOOOOOOOW!**

Oh look, it reset. Now if only Sans wasn't back in his original situation… Ah well, alive is better than not. Thanks for reading.

 _With this chapter, Smile has come to an end. I greatly appreciate every single one of you for reading this story. Thank you._

 _If any of you are interested I do take prompts/requests. You can PM me or just chat with me on tumblr (topsycrit) for any reason including requests.I'll do my best to get to those as quickly as possible. Again, thank you for reading._


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